Improvement of Farmers' and Fishermen's Welfare
All the welfare for farmers and fishermen introduced pursuant to the related acts and regulations. It includes a living allowance for old farmers, scholarships for farmers' and fishermen's children, natural disaster relief, rescue for fishermen, and relief for import-caused damage.
1. Increasing the living allowance for old farmers and fishermen
- To care for senior farmers and fishermen, the living allowance was originally set at NT$3,000 per month in 2004. It was increased to NT$4,000 per month in 2005, and then to NT$5,000 per month in 2006. On August 8, 2007, it was increased to 6,000 per month. In 2007 the total payment reached NT$45.720 billion. From 1995 to 2007 the accumulated total reached NT$318.838 billion, which benefited 1.013 million farmers and fishermen.
- In line with the government policy to help students from less-privileged families, groups, from 2003, the COA provided scholarships for children of farmers and fishermen to enable them to attend high schools, or universities and colleges. In 2007, such scholarships totaled NT$1.893 billion, which benefited 272,800 farmers and fishermen.
- To ease the burden of losses and to facilitate resumption of normal production after natural disasters, the COA provides various relief measures including the cash payments, subsidies, and low-interest loans. In 2007, the total of cash payments and subsidies reached over NT$4.1 billion, which benefited around 250,000 farmers and fishermen. The low-interest loans and interest subsidies totaled NT$358 million and NT$30 million for the first half of 2007, respectively. These benefited 595 households.
2. Redressing damage caused by imports
To improve agricultural competitiveness, the COA in 2007 made use of the import damage relief fund to implement two programs: paddy and upland utilization adjustment, and production adjustment or preventive measures. The former applied to the production adjustment of rice, other grain crops with guaranteed prices and contracted sugarcane production. The program promotes the rotation of the crops that are unique to the special regions. It is to balance the supply and demand of rice, and to secure the farmers’ income. The latter applied to the following: improvement of rice quality; structural improvement for rice, pigs, poultry, cattle, fruits, tea and fishery; re-adjustment and training of the agricultural labor force; improvement of animal and plant quarantine management; and reinforcement of international marketability of agri-products. These programs are to cushion the impact of Taiwan’s WTO accession.
To mitigate the import damage on domestic production and the farmers, the COA has appropriated the fund yearly to redress the damage. In June 2007, the COA approved the Nantou County Government’s request for relief for its low-elevation tea production in three townships, which suffered from the damage caused by the imports of tea. NT$140 million was supplied to subsidize tea picking and transportation, renewal of tea plants, pruning, etc. Also the COA requested the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Finance to activate import safeguards and antidumping measures to protect the domestic tea production.
To mitigate the import damage on domestic production and the farmers, the COA has appropriated the fund yearly to redress the damage. In June 2007, the COA approved the Nantou County Government’s request for relief for its low-elevation tea production in three townships, which suffered from the damage caused by the imports of tea. NT$140 million was supplied to subsidize tea picking and transportation, renewal of tea plants, pruning, etc. Also the COA requested the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Finance to activate import safeguards and antidumping measures to protect the domestic tea production.
