News
The Purchase of Rice is Conducted to Stabilize Rice Prices and Safeguard the Income of Rice Growers.
The Council of Agriculture indicated that, since rice production of the second season is entering into a period of harvesting, in order to stabilize rice prices and safeguard the income of rice growers, it will purchase the superfluous rice from rice growers by two measures: the planned purchase and the price stabilization purchase. In addition to the above, there is a rice-surplus program also put into practice.
COA said that the prices and amount of rice to be purchased this season are proclaimed to be as follows: the planned purchase of rice is set to be 1,440 kilograms per hectare; the price for one kilogram of Japanica rice is set to be NTD 21, while the price for one kilogram of Indica rice is set to be NTD 20; the amount of the price stabilization purchase of rice is set to be 800 kilograms per hectare, and the price for one kilogram of Japanica rice is set to be NTD 18, while the price for one kilogram of Indica rice is set to be NTD 17; the amount of the purchase of rice-surplus is set to be 2,360 kilograms per hectare; the price for one kilogram of Japanica rice is set to be NTD 16.6, while the price for one kilogram of Indica rice is set to be NTD 15.6. COA indicated that the price of each kind of purchase is higher than the average direct production cost of NTD 15.47 for one kilogram of Japanica rice produced domestically in the same season over the past five years (from 2002-2006). And the amount of purchase set to be 4,600 kilograms per hectare is equal to that of total production, and, judging from the above-mentioned figures, it can be said for sure that farmers’ revenue is under full protection.
COA stressed that, in order to make sure that farmers’ rights be properly protected and make it easy for farmers to hand in rice, COA’s Agriculture and Food Agency will take steps to press each state-consigned granary to conduct the handing in of rice at any time that proves to be farmers’ convenience in keeping with their daily schedule after the harvest of rice is completed so that the government’s good intention to take care of farmers’ livelihood can be put into practice.
COA offers to remind farmers that the deadline for the purchase of rice in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taitung, Hualien and Yilan is set on December 25 th; the deadline in Hsinchu and Chiayi is set on December 10 th; the deadline in Miaoli is set on December 15 th; the deadline in Taichung, Nantou, Changhua and Yunlin is set on December 20 th; the deadline in Tainan is set on November 30 th; the deadline in Kaohsiung is set on November 20 th; the deadline in Pingtung is set on October 31th. Those farmers who are qualified for the state purchase of rice produced in this season and who are actually engaged in rice-growing may go to the state-consigned granaries assigned by the regional agencies of Agriculture and Food Agency to hand in their rice before the deadline so that their interests are under protection; besides, should farmers have any further questions concerning the rice purchase measure, they may turn straight to the regional agencies or its offices of AFA for more information and explanation.
