The Council of Agriculture (COA) and the South African Ministry of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development convened the “4^th Meeting of the Taiwan-South Africa Joint Working Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries” by videoconference on October 21. Besides sharing information on agricultural policies like “training young farmers,” “one township, one special local product,” and “land reform training,” the two parties also reached mutually beneficial consensus on cooperation on issues such as agriproduct market access as well as pesticide use, flowering bulbs, and fruit tree germplasm. At the same time the two sides agreed to continue to deepen agricultural technology exchanges and industrial links in order to promote agricultural development in the two countries.

Taiwan and South Africa signed an “Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries” in 2013. The two parties have since then continued to hold meetings to promote all manner of cooperation in agriculture and fisheries, resolve problems related to trade in agriproducts, and advance exchanges in agricultural technology. This 4^th Meeting was held by videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COA states that South Africa is one of the most important producers of agricultural and livestock products in Africa, and is also one of the most important bases for Taiwan’s distant-water fishing fleet. Through the regular mechanism of the “Taiwan-South Africa Joint Working Committee for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries,” not only can the two sides strengthen bilateral cooperation in research and development of agricultural technology, enhance cooperation in applications of innovative agricultural technology, and improve industrial linkages, they can also increase the volume and value of trade in fresh vegetables and fruit, flowers, aquatic products, and processed foods. This 4^th Meeting will not only be helpful to enhancing agricultural cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and South Africa, but even more can deepen cooperative linkages between related industries, jointly promote agricultural development in the two countries, and, through South Africa, facilitate access to the African and European markets for Taiwan premium agriproducts and agricultural materials.