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Planning for Training New Farmers

■  Development of manpower for the agricultural sector is critical to strengthening competitiveness. It not only affects (a) the application of innovative technologies to agriculture and (b) the upgrading of the operational efficiency of farms, it also directly affects (c) the comprehensive innovation and transformation of agriculture as well as (d) the success or failure of adjustment of the population structure. The simultaneous development in both quantity and quality of rural manpower will play a critical role in upgrading the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

■  Taiwan’s agricultural sector faces several issues that urgently need to be resolved, often framed as: (a) “aging of manpower, lack of successors in operations and management”; (b) “lack of economies of scale”; and (c) “a gap between learning and application in the training of manpower.” Development of a new generation of agricultural professionals will be the motor that drives the critical agricultural policies of the future, including the Taiwan Bioeconomy Industry Development Program, Agricultural Productivity 4.0, e-commerce and diversified marketing of agro-products, and development of a global reach for Taiwan’s agro-technology industry. In addition, we hope that younger farmers will bring innovative new thinking into agriculture, and, through strategies like cross-industry cooperation, market orientation, “smart” IT-based production management, and innovative value-added services, will inject new energy into the agricultural sector.

■  It is for these reasons that the COA has devised the “Program for Training New Farmers.” This includes: (a) a blueprint for training and development of manpower for the agricultural labor market; (b) construction of an agricultural environment that is “youth friendly”; and (c) promotion of value-added innovative agriculture as well as regeneration of rural communities. We will also lay out supportive corollary measures in the areas of land, capital, technology and marketing. Finally, we will coordinate this program with other ongoing programs such as Agricultural Productivity 4.0 and e-commerce and marketing of agro-products, and we will work cooperatively with other ministries and agencies, thereby linking all available resources. Main points of this plan are as follows:

● Three major principles: Forward-looking objectives, systematic training, resource integration.

● Four main strategies: Firmly plant sprouts, cultivate their growth, refine them when they reach maturity, pass along the “fruits.”

● Twelve promotional measures: (1) Broaden career exploration, extend preparations for agricultural careers. (2) Expand cooperation between academia and business, precisely target and cultivate “seed” farmers. (3) Cultivate base-level capabilities, provide guidance for beginners entering agriculture. (4) Strengthen systematic training, undertake comprehensive on-the-job and mid-career education. (5) Make more flexible use of manpower, raise the value of specialized skills and expertise. (6) Create “bases” for training to intensify the incubation of human resources. (7) Promote special-case guidance, create model young farmers. (8) Construct platforms for exchanges between farmers, guide farmers to engage in more local cooperation. (9) Organize and optimize use of guidance resources, assist newly created agro-businesses. (10) Innovate value-added operations, deepen local community industries. (11) Link agricultural special zones, create “critical mass” effects. (12) Map out demonstration zones, focusing on industries with strong future prospects.

■  This plan will cover a ten-year period, divided into two phases. Phase One will last from 2017 through 2021. Targets for Phase One include: (a) training 18,000 young people to work in agriculture, of which 600 are to be “model young farmers” (with average annual incomes exceeding NT$1 million, including 50 with annual incomes of at least NT$2 million); (b) raising the salaries for agricultural employees to 1.5 times the basic wage; (c) ensuring a retainment rate in agriculture of 85% of persons who graduate from publicly funded agricultural training programs.

■  The “Program for Training a New Generation to Work in the Agricultural Sector” is the opportunity for the re-invention of Taiwan’s agricultural sector. In order to optimize the comparative advantages of this sector, it is necessary (i) to have a complete structure in place for training people to work in agriculture, and (ii) to gradually create a friendlier operating environment, so that young people who feel a vocation will be willing to devote themselves to agriculture. These young people will become the core human resources for taking new ideas for agricultural upgrading and making them a reality on the ground.