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Foreword

Agriculture is the cornerstone of national development, everyday life, and ecological conservation. Besides the production and sale of agricultural products, agricultural development also involves the issues of food security, rural employment, social stability, resource utilization, and ecological conservation. On a global scale, every country values and depends on agriculture. While the nature of agriculture has evolved with the times, it is certainly still irreplaceable in terms of its economic, social, and ecological functions.

Taiwan's farmers have long tilled the soil and planted crops. Thanks to our forefathers' stewardship of the land, agriculture has taken root, grown strong, and borne luxuriant foliage. Today industry, commerce, and services are growing in the soil prepared by agriculture, and are flowering and bearing fruit. Nevertheless, the rapid transformation of Taiwan's economic and social structure in recent years has meant that the traditional functions of agriculture can no longer satisfy the diverse needs of today's commercial and industrial society. Agricultural administrators are therefore trying to bring agriculture into a new era, so that it can provide greater value for our pluralistic society. Furthermore, we are taking vigorous action to strengthen the global competitiveness of the agricultural sector, so that domestic agriculture can cope with trade deregulation and international competition in the wake of Taiwan's accession to the WTO. We are also working to boost agricultural technology R&D, foster industrial upgrade, and seize new development opportunities. We are strengthening international marketing and promoting the export of our most competitive agricultural products.

To maintain the sustainable development of domestic agriculture, agricultural administration must strive to attain the goals of "development of agriculture, renewal of rural villages, care for farmers, and benefit for all citizens," while aiming at a win-win outcome for both farmers and consumers. We are therefore using our technological advantages, geographical advantages, and local advantages to accelerate agricultural transformation and upgrading. As we look forward to a time when agriculture will play diverse roles, we are working hard to foster quality, security, recreation, and environmental protection.

Agriculture will continue to be a cornerstone of economic development and social stability in the future. We are moving in the correct direction, and we are determined and confident. Our current goal is to accelerate the improvement of the agricultural structure and system, go all out to promote the continued development of Taiwan's agriculture, promote knowledge-, technology-, and capital-intensive industries, improve the lives of farmers and fishermen, and enable everyone to share in the successes of agriculture. We hope that citizens will transform their love for Taiwan and agriculture into real action, help care for our farmers and fishermen, support farming and fishing, buy Taiwan's agricultural and fisheries products, and work together to revitalize agriculture and put domestic agriculture on the road to sustainable development.

Ching-Lung Lee
Minister