In response to climate changes, international food security, new round World Trade Organization negotiations, regional economic and trade liberalization development, and the scheduled establishment of Ministry of Agriculture under the governmental reorganization plan, the Council of Agriculture (COA) is formulating medium- and long-term agricultural development directions while promoting various important policies and programs, said COA Minister Wu-hsiung Chen. After inviting scholars and experts to discuss farmland use and management on July 30 and October 1, the Council is scheduled to convene a national conference on agriculture and farmland early next, inviting experts from the agricultural sector, government agencies and academia as well as representatives of farmers organizations to study and formulate medium- and long-term agricultural policy directions as the basis of formulating the agriculture basic law. The Council plans to submit the draft agriculture basic law to the Executive Yuan for review early next year before sending it to the Legislative Yuan for deliberations.

Promoting Important Agricultural Policies and Formulating Agriculture Basic Law

The government has continued formulating key agricultural plans and programs to promote various agricultural policies based on policy guidelines of “health, efficiency and sustainable development” in response to the new situation of agricultural development. The Council presented the Quality Agriculture Development Program in 2009, hoping that agriculture will gradually turn from production to become a green ecological industry and service industry; convened the Policy Conference on Adjusting Agriculture in Response to Climate Changes in June 2010, reached a consensus on the development vision of “low risk, less emissions, new business opportunity” and seven key strategies, and formulated action plans to promote the development vision and key strategies; promulgated the Statute for Rejuvenation of Rural Villages in August for implementation; and submitted in October the draft organization law of the Ministry of Agriculture to the Executive Yuan for review. The COA is also formulating food security policy, planning the promotion of food self-sufficiency and reserve system and preparing for the establishment of farmers training institute in 2011, laying the foundation for further promoting agricultural policies and implementing the agriculture basic law.

Organizing National Conference on Agriculture and Farmland

The Council will convene within six months a national conference on agriculture and farmland according to the instruction of Premier Den-yih Wu and has begun preparations for the conference and reached the following preliminary conclusions after discussing with scholars and experts various issues related to agriculture and farmland: (1) strengthening the contribution made by agriculture and multi-functional values to highlight the importance of agriculture; (2) integrating administrative resources to promote farmland planning and uses; and (3) building quality agricultural environment and sound farmland management system. Then the COA will sponsor seminars on such important issues as medium- and long-term agricultural policy directions and farmland policy before convening the national conference early next year for brainstorming and seeking a consensus.

COA to Solicit Opinions on Agriculture Basic Law Soon

The agriculture basic law will be a legislation declaring medium- and long-term policy directions, so its formulation should take various policies into consideration. Although the extent of impact on agriculture by the new round WTO negotiations and international regional economic and trade negotiations is not yet clear, climate changes will have far-reaching influences on agricultural development. And in view of such new issues as food security, the Council will invite government officials, scholars and experts as well as representatives of farmers organizations to study and formulate sound medium- and long-term agricultural policy directions in response to the new situation after the establishment in 2012 of the Ministry of Agriculture, which will lead to the transfer of such works as forestry, water and soil conservation and biodiversity preservation to the newly established Ministry of Environment and Resources.

The above-mentioned medium- and long-term agricultural policy directions, previously formulated important policy planning and the draft agriculture basic law presented by various committees of the Legislative Yuan can all be used to lay a solid foundation for the enactment of this law. Since the government plans to establish the Ministry of Agriculture in 2012, the COA is scheduled to present the draft agriculture basic law early next year and submit the revised draft to the Executive Yuan in one month after soliciting opinions from the society in public hearings. The draft basic law is scheduled to be sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberations after being reviewed by the Executive Yuan.