The 10th Meeting of the MECO-TECO Technical Working Group on Agricultural Cooperation was held via video conference on July 29, 2021. Deputy Minister Chin-cheng Huang of Council of Agriculture of Taiwan and an Undersecretary of Department of Agriculture of the Philippines hosted the meeting jointly. Ambassador Pei-yung Hsu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines and Vice Chairman Lauengco of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei also participated in the meeting.

Delegations of both sides discussed issues that were related to agricultural technical cooperation and market access. Several issues of mutual concern were fully discussed, including market access of agriculture products and technical cooperative projects. Taiwan shared experience in the prevention and control of African swine fever and border control, to which the Philippines positively affirmed the achievements of Taiwan in their national defense for said disease. Both parties will discuss further technical cooperation on  the area of animal industry  as well as on ASF control and prevention in the future. 

Following the TWG meeting, a B2B Forum on Agricultural Mechanization was held with participants coming from the Philippine and Taiwan’s publis and private sectors as well as representatives from the academe. In the Forum, various agricultural machinery and equipment, including labor-saving, small-scale, and post-harvest processing were introduced by the private sectors of both sides. Presentations were provided by the Taiwan Trade Centre in Manila, Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Taiwan Agricultural Machinery Manufactures Association, Suncue Company, Almin Enterprise Company., Jyen Herr Enterprise Company., Hwaxing Agriculture Machinery Company and the All Certified Equipment Trading Corporation. The Forum offeredopportunities for both sides to promote technical innovation and application, explore market demand and establish partnerships through this dialogue.

The two sides reached consensus on a number of mutually beneficial agricultural industry cooperation programs, including ones covering trade in agricultural products, technical cooperation in farming and animal husbandry, and prevention of plant and animal diseases Both sides believe that through the TWG and the B2B Forum,  linkages between agricultural industries can be further strengthened, bilateral agricultural science and technology R&D and industrial cooperation can be expanded, and substantive successes in promotion of tasks for Taiwan’s Agricultural New Southbound Policy can be achieved.