Have you ever heard of the “Tracking System” With just a little piece of product code can the consumers get wise to the identity of agricultural products, such as tomatoes, lettuces, potatoes...etc. This system stores information about how and where these foods have been produced, transported and processed. The Council of Agriculture (COA), provided the impetus for reporting on the “Tracking System” in September with help from the “Mita, the Guardian Angel of Pomelos” on-line activity. From the promotions the people can therefore know of the “Tracking System” and have access to “agricultural products with identification”.

Since 2004, the COA has continually encouraged the Farmers' Associations and Production and Marketing Groups' to implement the “Tracking System”. By the end of 2006 there will be 75 products introduced into the system, including vegetables and fruits, eggs, pork, and cobia. The contents of the traceable records are comprised of the production process including information regarding the use of fertilizers, pesticides as well as the harvest procedures. In addition to the above the COA hopes to go a step further and expand the fields for information regarding product distribution channels. Consequently, while the consumer is shopping, they can refer to the index of the KIOSK at the malls or via Internet-capable cell phones, or connect to the “Taiwan Agriculture and Food Traceability” website and key in the traceable codes for the related products. Then, the information about the origins of the goods, suppliers, and logistic can be immediately obtained. This ensures the consumers have safe and reliable food products. The COA also plans to allow the consumer to purchase all the traceable agricultural products in metropolises, wholesalers, retail stores within three years. Similarly, the COA is also enthusiastic to get the export products into this system in order to keep up with European Union, Japan and other advanced countries.

The COA notes that to let people know about “Tracking System”, the forum for “Tracking System” on the COA Website offers a range of information. For example, there are reports regarding new achievements, farms and groups of production and marketing that carry out this notion and also news about available or high-grade products. In addition, people can further understand it through on-line film that tells the entire story which will demonstrate that elderly farmers in their fifties or sixties can learn to write daily records for their products and the women in villages can learn to type word for word and upload their records onto the Internet.

The general public will also have the chance to pry into the stories of many agricultural professions and their devotion to the “Tracking System”.

The COA further states that for the purpose of obtaining products with their relevant identification, the COA Website is holding an on-line activity, called “Mita, the Guardian Angel of Pomelos”, from September 11th to October 1st. What you need to do is protect Uncle A-Tu's pomelo orchard on the COA Children's Website with Mita, a virtual product agent, and later you will have the chance to win Uncle A-Tu's great deal of gifts for the Moon Festival. More surprisingly, the gifts include the new traceable shaddocks, Yin-Chuan organic rice, first-rate Taiwanese tea and other excellent agricultural products. From September 12th, you will also have the chance to gain the freshest fruit of the season and accumulate the points to win the grand prize by answering the funny quiz correctly on line every day. If you want to know what the best present is for Moon Festival and the related shopping information, please visit the COA Website: https://www.coa.gov.tw.