(1) Welfare allowance for senior farmers and fishermen

　In order to better care agricultural workers as they age, those over 65 who meet the necessary requirements are eligible to receive a monthly allowance of NT$6,000. In 2009, a total of 735,444 people qualified for a total of NT$50.86 billion in subsidies.

(2) Academic scholarship program for the children of farmers and fishermen

　The COA is committed to ensuring that the children of farmers and fishermen can achieve a secondary or college education in spite of any economic difficulties and offering them academic scholarships since 2003. In 2009, a total of NT$1.8 billion in scholarships were distributed to assist approximately 260,000 young people continue their education.

(3) Relief for damages caused by natural disaster and imports

1. In 2009, a total of nine natural disasters, including a winter freeze and Typhoon Morakot, hit the agricultural industry. In order to enable farmers and fishermen to more quickly resume normal operations, the COA disbursed a total of NT$5.62 billion in cash relief and specialized subsidies to 214,800 farmers and fishermen. Another 2,439 households also benefitted from NT$2.9 billion in low-interest loans.

2. Utilizing the Fund of Redressing Damage to Farmers Caused by Agricultural Imports, the COA continued to adjust the structure of the island’s farming, fishery, and livestock industries and implemented agricultural disease prevention and control plans, while strengthening the marketing of Taiwan’s agricultural goods overseas to soften the impact of imports on the sector. In 2009, the COA assisted in setting up 32 paddy rice production and marketing zones, which enable farmers to earn an additional NT$12,000 on average for each hectare per season. A total of 3,519 hectares of export fruit orchards were established, resulting in 21,106 metric tons of fruit for export. The COA held 84 training sessions to teach farmers and fishermen new skills, which aided 1,400 students to earn an occupational certification in this new area. In addition, we completed 10,013 instances of monitoring for BSE (mad cow disease), rinderpest, and rabies to ensure that Taiwan remains free of these serious diseases. The COA also actively attended all manner of international exhibitions to develop an export-oriented agricultural industry, effectively opening up new markets for our products around the world.

(4) Enhancing supply forecasting mechanisms

1. In order to properly adjust the production of vegetables, 903 hectares of staple vegetables were plowed under to serve as organic fertilizer. A total of 1,279 metric tons of subpar haili tangerines and 1,794 small pengkan tangerines were also turned into organic fertilizer. The COA purchased low-quality oranges, which were processed into nearly 16,000 metric tons of organic fertilizer, stabilizing orange prices and protecting the rights and interests of farmers.

2. In order to prevent a supply-demand imbalance and better monitor the industry, the COA strengthened surveys of aquaculture stock and set up stations at 25 wholesale fish markets and 17 aquatic areas to monitor and analyze fishery products.

3. As stipulated in the Animal Industry Act, the COA set livestock and poultry production targets, assisted county and city governments to strengthen the production management of individual farms and industry organizations, and collected information on commodities locally and abroad. We also researched production costs, prices, and the most suitable production levels in order to maintain livestock and poultry supply and price stability.

(5) Implementing the guaranteed rice purchasing policy

1. Rice is Taiwan’s most important crop and the staple food for our citizens. In order to protect the domestic supply of this key grain, the government purchases rice from growers at a guaranteed price. During times of shortage, the government releases public stock to the market, thereby protecting the economies of farming villages and stabilizing rice prices.

2. In the first crop season of 2009, the COA purchased 137,000 metric tons of paddy rice with an average price of NT$20.75 per kilogram, an increase of NT$0.71 over the price of NT$20.04 during the same period in 2008. During the second crop season of 2009, 45,000 metric tons of paddy rice was purchased. At the time, the market price was NT$20.08, higher than the government procurement price of NT$20. Over the entire year, the government purchased 183,000 metric tons of rice for a total of NT$4.17 billion. Due to the difference between the market and procurement prices, rice farmers’ income was directly increased by approximately NT$382 million in 2009. The guaranteed purchase program enables the government to gather up ample rice reserves to prevent a shortage situation.