Making an inventory of epidemic prevention against avian influenza

In order to strengthen the partnership between the central government and local agricultural agencies, COA held the “the 1 ^st symposium for the national agricultural chief executives 2013” on May 10 ^th, inviting the agricultural chief executives from municipalities and counties (cities) to participate in discussing with the common issues related to the agriculture. Minister of COA, Chen, Dr. Bas-ji addressed that the agriculture in Taiwan is facing the key moment of transformation, and in response to the recent epidemic situation of H7N9 avian influenza in Mainland China, expecting the central and local government can work together with partnership to implement the epidemic prevention against avian influenza, by banning on slaughtering poultry in the traditional markets, activating the fallow land as well as the other important agricultural policies, and exchanging views in order to reach common consensus and work together to solve the common problems of Taiwan’s agriculture.

Minister Chen pointed out that many current agricultural issues need each municipality, county (city) government to promote and assist to solve, especially in the utilization of agricultural land, expecting the local governments to transform from the early stage of “productive agriculture” into the new notion of “new agricultural value chain”, and expands the utilization of agricultural land, adjusting the agricultural land use pattern and its management thereof; taking stock of agricultural production by viewpoint of value chain in ways of producing, manufacturing, storing and marketing, adjusting the using standard of industrial facilities which allow to use and be sure to combine the usage of agricultural land with the human; in the meanwhile, Minister Chen also asks for the support of the chief executives from local governments in certainly supervising the farmers’ association conducting the examination of agricultural insurance supervisory qualification along with the inventory work, to really take care of the farmers who are busily engaged in agriculture.

Strengthening the measurement of epidemic prevention against avian influenza, precluding from the attack of H7N9 avian influenza

In response to the epidemic situation of H7N9 avian influenza in Mainland China, the highlight of the conference was that the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, COA explained the situation of epidemic prevention against avian influenza and the measures taken thereof to the representatives of countries and cities. Minister Chen stressed that even though Taiwan is the non-infected area of H7N9 avian influenza so far; yet, on account of consideration for the citizens, a total of 20 counties and cities has established H7N9 outbreak response team until May 7 ^th; and a total of 9,750 poultry farms has established clinical visit along with 16 cases of announcing monitor till May 5 ^th which were all not found in avian influenza. Another increase in poultry farms, poultry processing plants and public area were doubled in disinfection, and until May 5 ^th, a total of 33,938 times disinfection counseling have been completed and will continue to strengthen. Owing to Kinmen , Lienchiang (Matsu) and Penghu County are closer to the coastal provinces of Mainland China; consequently, the monitor of epidemic situation and disinfection there are being paid more attention; till May 8 ^th, there were 64 times visits, 213 cases of monitoring the migratory bird excrement and 94 times in disinfection in Kinmen County, and 21 times visits and 21 times in disinfection in Lienching County; 173 times visits, 1 time specimen-sampling and 209 times in disinfection in Penghu County, which were all negative in H7N9 avian influenza. Minister Chen also encourages the chief executives in local agricultural departments working together in prevention work, including counseling the poultry farms in the administrative area to do bird-proof erection and maintenance thereof, improve the frequency of disinfection and epidemic prevention, implement the active surveillance of sampling and the management between human and animals, strengthen epidemic inspection, visit, announcement and the case report, check and preparedness of the epidemic supplies, counseling the tourist ranch and zoo to guard against the H7N9 avian influenza and preclude from its attack.

Promoting measurement of banning on slaughtering poultry in the traditional markets, safeguarding the carnivorous health safety for the public

For the sake of the first confirmed imported human case of infecting the H7N9 avian influenza, avoiding the spread of the epidemic situation, COA notice the policy ahead of time that from May 17 ^th slaughtering poultry in the traditional markets is banned, and has set up to promote the working group for banning on slaughtering poultry in the traditional markets; in order to implement the policy, COA has drawn the relevant supporting measures at the same time. Minister Chen also asked for the municipal, county (city) government and the central relevant agencies to put it into action together and continue to cooperate which includes: assisting the poultry stalls to switch the business mode and the related incentive measures to strengthen health security in poultry consumption, adjust the marketing of poultry and structure of slaughter, strengthen the investigation of illegal poultry slaughtering, premise and collection of epidemic situation and the communication and concern and so on, in order to safeguard the carnivorous health safety for the public, stabilize the order and price of poultry production and marketing to ensure the sustainable development of the poultry industry.

Adjusting the farming system, continuously activating the consecutive fallow land

The follow-up promotion of meeting on “2013 plan adjustments farming farmland activation”, COA exchanges views with agriculture directorate from local government, and said that, in order to improve food self-sufficiency rate and maintain the production environment, “2013 plan adjustments farming farmland activation” has been boosting it till now, and the statistics shows that a fallow area of 57,630 hectares reported in the first quarter, has been activated for 24,628 hectares compared with the first quarter in 2012, and the transformation thereof is for area 42, 288 hectares, increasing for 11, 107 hectares compared with the first quarter in 2013, which all indicate that implementation of the plan has been in initial progress. In order to continue to promote the program, COA will work with municipal county (city) government to strengthen the implement the utilization of the fallow land, and call on farmers to plant import substitution as well products with export potential and reporting the performance products and at same tine by creating a farming service information platform and take measures to help farmers obtain the necessary agricultural machinery-related information.

Suggestions and conclusions from meetings and parties, COA will process as soon as possible

COA pointed out that, through the symposium for the national and local agricultural chief executives can not only hear the voices with regard to the agricultural policy implementation thereof from municipalities, counties (cities), but also through common discussion, providing the countermeasures to meet the local needs, solving local agricultural problems, and can even allow the central and local agricultural authorities to have a fully communication, successfully promoting the agricultural policy. For the suggestions proposed by each municipality, county (city) government, Minister Chen said that COA would urge the relevant departments of COA and agencies studying and resolving the issues as soon as possible, further to strengthen cooperation and communication among all municipal, county and central government agricultural directors in order to achieve consensus on the current agricultural issues creating a win-win results.