1.　An inventory of agricultural and farmland resources

　　To cope with climate change and meet the needs of food security, the COA, in order to maintain a firm grasp of the current situation with respect to farmland use, started doing an inventory of agricultural and farmland resources in 2016. Through cross-departmental data collection, GIS spatial analysis, and the assistance and cooperation of local governments, we comprehensively inventoried the amount of farmland and data related to it, and we completed this inventory of agricultural and farmland resources in September of 2017. According to the results of the inventory, using the 2.78 million hectares of land designated by law as land to be used for agriculture as the basis for analysis, land area of about 680,000 hectares was being used for food production, of which the area used for farm food production was about 520,000 hectares, that used for aquaculture was about 43,000 hectares, and that for animal husbandry was 11,000 hectares, with the remaining 105,000 hectares being classified as land that can potentially be made available for agricultural use. In addition, 45,000 hectares of land for agricultural use were being used for non-agricultural structures, of which “factories” is the largest item on the list of non-agricultural uses, accounting for an area of 13,000 hectares.

　　To ensure an adequate amount of farmland for food security, with reference to the results of the abovementioned inventory, the COA will promote a policy of expanding the area of land with irrigation services. We will integrate the water resources both inside and outside these irrigation areas, and control the safety of the irrigation water.

　　We will give priority to farmland that is not being actively used for agriculture, and will implement “green environmental payments” and other incentive measures to guide the planting of the right crops for the right locations. The COA will also guide professional farmers to cultivate competitive crops with export potential or import-substitution potential, and promote eco-friendly farming, in order to guide farmers to use the farmland in a rational manner and maintain a definite amount of high-quality farmland. Also, through promotion of the program to encourage farmland use, we will integrate land into production zones or special zones with appropriate economies of scale. Through these measures we can adjust the agricultural manpower and production structure, and ensure food security and sustainable agricultural operations. We also plan, over the next ten years, to integrate 270,000 hectares of farmland into farms with economies of scale, and guide 40,000 professional farming households to join the ranks of agricultural operators, which can upgrade competitiveness and stabilize farmers’ incomes. Finally, with respect to livestock and poultry farms that have ceased doing business, we inventoried 7,986 of these venues in order to verify the current use of that land.

　　As for data on farmland being used for non-agricultural uses such as factories and so on, the COA has already provided this data to the competent authorities at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior for them to gain an understanding of the situation and for them to utilize. Later, to cope with the announcement and implementation of the National Land Use Plan, the COA will use the results of the inventory to serve as reference in (i) the delineation of agricultural development districts and (ii) the planning for farmland management systems under the National Land Use Planning Act. We will further put into practice the policy guidelines of the National Land Use Planning Act for functional separation of districts for land use, in order to maintain overall farmland resources.

2.　Maintaining the quantity and quality of irrigation water

　　Irrigation construction is inseparable from agricultural development and the well-being of farmers. By using irrigation and drainage facilities and related water management technology, the COA can (a) effectively maintain a firm grasp of the stability of the irrigation water supply and the need for water quality; (b) construct a high efficiency water management mechanism; and (c) effectively transport and distribute irrigation water and improve farmland drainage. These measures will reduce the incidence of harm from droughts, stabilize the production of food, and reduce losses from natural disasters, thereby upholding the rights and interests of farmers.

　　In 2017, the COA: (a) renovated or improved 257 kilometers of irrigation and drainage channels; (b) completed 697 infrastructure items (projects/structures); (c) renovated or improved irrigation canals on 1,156 hectares of “consolidated farmland” and “early-phase consolidated farmland”; (d) assisted farmers in installing water-saving equipment, such as spray irrigation and drip irrigation, on 2,340 hectares of land; (e) undertook renovations or improvements on automated water-testing systems in 44 locations; (f) guided local irrigation associations to operate 2,347 locations for irrigation water-quality monitoring and monitoring work for sources of water pollution, which were utilized for 42,974 tests; (g) effectively brought into play the three sheng (production [shengchan], daily life [shenghuo] and the ecology [shengtai ]) and disaster-prevention or disaster-mitigation functions of irrigation; (h) completed improvement of 328 kilometers of emergency irrigation canals in “consolidated farmland” areas, thereby ensuring the smoothness of flow in irrigation canals in these areas; and (i) completed expansion of the irrigated area under irrigation associations by 1,858.6 hectares (828.62 hectares in Taitung, 798.41 hectares in Hualien, and 231.57 hectares in Nantou). All these measures allow irrigation to serve even more farmers and farmland.

　　In addition, the COA promoted the program to protect irrigation water quality. We directed and oversaw all types of related work promoted by various irrigation associations at different phases and in different locations, steadily reducing the drainage of all kinds of wastewater and polluted water into irrigation channels, thereby reducing the risk that the quality of water used for irrigation will be affected by pollution. In 2017 we reduced industrial effluent from 18 factories going into the irrigation system, hitting 100% of our target for the year.

3.　Maintaining agricultural environmental resources and safety

(A) Implementation of the program for “Large-scale Landslide Disaster Prevention and Mitigation under Climate Change”

　　This project mainly involves the tasks of “strengthening crisis response capabilities for large-scale landslides,” “construction of a smart disaster prevention system in large-scale debris flow disaster-prone areas,” “increasing the effectiveness of management of large-scale debris flow disaster-prone areas,” and “refining and advancing resource conservation in large-scale debris flow disaster-prone areas.” In 2017, we undertook 14 infrastructure projects, completed impact range demarcation in 11 locations, completed 439 inventories of the protection of structures, conducted evaluations of the appropriateness of land use over 112,000 hectares, and conducted education work and citizen participation for a total of 4,915 participants.

(B) Comprehensive mountain management for disaster prevention

　　In 2017, the COA undertook a total of 545 projects for conservation management in important reservoir water catchment areas and for debris flow disaster prevention, stabilizing about 6.34 million cubic meters of soil. We also undertook 24 cases of surveys and planning for water catchment areas, effectively reducing debris flow disasters and conserving soil and water resources. In addition, the COA undertook improvement of emergency roads outside of consolidated farmland areas. Taking the roads most in need of improvement as the focus, we conducted 288 projects and improved about 170 kilometers of road. Finally, the COA also strengthened soil and water conservation facilities, maintaining slope stability and improving road drainage facilities, in order to maintain the stability of the road bed and smoothness of traffic flow.

(C) Comprehensive management of river basins

(a) In 2017, the six irrigation associations of Yilan, Nantou, Changhua, Jianan, Pingtung, and Hualien undertook 18 farmland drainage improvement projects, improving about 12.39 kilometers of drainage channels and building 17 structures for water management, thereby reducing the threat of flooding over 2,661 hectares of farmland prone to inundation.

(b) The COA also undertook soil and water conservation along rivers and regional drainage for upstream slopeland that was under the charge of municipalities, cities, and counties within the scope of the plan, as well as mountain management and flood prevention in Aboriginal townships. In 2017, we handled 298 conservation and management projects, effectively stabilizing 1.63 million cubic meters of soil.

(c) The COA also implemented planning for management of watersheds, mountain management and flood disaster prevention, as well as torrent management and landslide treatment in national forest compartments in Aboriginal townships. In the second phase (2016-2017), we completed 55 projects for mountain management and flood disaster prevention, restored about 25.13 hectares of landslides, and prevented about 1.258 million cubic meters of soil from moving downstream. This means that the COA has taken the first steps toward overall and joint management of watersheds in basins, collectively lowering the damage from debris flow and flooding in anticipated targets.

(d) Using the two headings of “agricultural disaster mitigation” and “construction project management,” the COA undertook measures to ensure the security of food crops. As for agricultural disaster mitigation measures, we selected 14 important vegetable-producing locations, and guided the installation of vegetable production and disaster mitigation facilities (equipment) on over 175 hectares. As for construction project management measures, the COA implemented a total of 14 approved projects for (i) fruit and vegetable-growing areas with facilities for production and disaster-mitigation and (ii) the improvement of farmland drainage problems.

(e) The COA completed these projects: (i) 13 drainage system improvement projects in aquaculture areas (four projects in the first period and nine projects in the second period), (ii) acquisition of 85 movable water pumps set in flood-prone areas, (iii) dredging of drainage ditches in four locations of aquaculture areas, (iv) raising of the height of embankments for aquaculture ponds in 19 locations, and (v) installation of recycled water facilities in two locations. In total, we have upgraded the protected area for fish ponds covering 1,914.41 hectares and for flood tolerance in aquaculture areas covering 4,933.3 hectares, enabling the sustainable operation of Taiwan’s aquaculture industry.

(D) Dredging of torrents

(a) Unstable slopes and torrents often lead to channel fill deposit caused by earthquakes and typhoons. In 2017, to reduce losses of life and property among citizens, the COA managed 54 torrent dredging projects. We cleared 2.451 million cubic meters of soil, restoring the capacity of these torrents to drain floodwater.

(b) The COA continued, on the basis of the strategies and methods in the “Program to Strengthen Dredging in Rivers, Torrents, and Reservoirs” and with attention to both torrent management and dredging in national forest, to undertake management of torrents and handling of landslides (i) at bottleneck sections of rivers urgently in need of attention and (ii) at important areas where infrastructure or the safety of Aboriginal communities can be affected. We observed the principle of “dredge in the right places, dredge at the right times” and had a firm grasp on the progress of the work. The goal for 2017 was set at 750,000 cubic meters, but in fact the COA actually exceeded the target, dredging 1.197 million cubic meters.

(E) Debris flow monitoring and disaster prevention

　　In 2017, the COA completed work related to instrument testing and operational maintenance for 68 debris flow survey stations. We also strengthened the flexible deployment functions of mobile and simplified survey stations. Using the debris flow disaster response system to assist in smart disaster prevention and support for decision making, the COA integrated 497 slopeland automated rain volume measuring stations across Taiwan, as well as released debris flow warning information to local governments for reference.

　　The COA also announced 1,705 rivers and waterways across Taiwan that have the potential for debris flow, and reexamined updating the base value for debris flow warnings. We also updated (i) the “2017 debris flow natural disaster evacuation plans” for 593 villages and districts in 159 townships in 17 counties and cities and (ii) the “list of persons to be protected in the impact range of rivers with potential for debris flow,” having established data on 46,630 people to be protected near rivers with potential for debris flow.

　　Also, in 2017, the COA trained 364 specialists in debris flow natural disaster prevention, and currently there are 2,780 such specialists across Taiwan. We also assisted local governments at all levels in debris flow disaster prevention work including undertaking autonomous rain volume measurement, disaster situation reporting, and identifying persons who need protection and evacuation. We also guided 550 communities in debris flow autonomous disaster prevention, and commended 26 benchmark communities.

(F)Mountain management and disaster prevention in watersheds in national forest

　　Taking the watershed as the unit of management, and based on the results of risk surveys and evaluations of landslides and watersheds in national forest, and aiming at the same time to deal with disasters caused by typhoons, in 2017 the COA appropriated NT$472 million to undertake management of 119 projects (a) to handle landslides in upstream sections of national forest; (b) to implement sedimentation-prevention projects; and (c) to conduct maintenance and emergency response measures. We handled a total of 158.23 hectares of landslides, did maintenance work on forest roads and slope treatment over 133.58 kilometers, and stabilized about 3.111 million cubic meters of soil from shifting downward. These steps will allow restoration of forest land as quickly as possible, and achieve the function of ensuring safety in national forest.

(G) Monitoring and management of slopeland

　　Categorizing and defining slopeland by the degrees of limitations on its permissible use, and setting norms for agricultural activities on slopeland, in 2017 the COA completed inspection and definition of 10,376 hectares. We have also demarcated “designated soil and water conservation areas,” for which we draft and approve long-term soil and water conservation plans, in order to strengthen the handling of soil and water conservation. In 2017, the COA conducted across-the-board reviews of four such areas, eliminating three of them.

　　The COA gave approval in 2017 to soil and water conservation plans (including simplified soil and water conservation reports) in 5,151 cases of development and use of slopeland, and inspected ongoing work 3,102 times. We had 5,531 cases of land surface changes monitored by satellite, and we implemented investigation, reporting, and interdiction of illegal use of slopeland in 2,022 cases, with fines totaling NT$112.09 million and 115 cases sent for prosecution in the legal system. We also strengthened knowledge among citizens of ways to maintain safety in the development and use of slopeland.

4.　Promoting sustainable fisheries with habitat protection

(A) Conservation and protection of marine fisheries resources and dynamic management of coastal fisheries

　　On October 1, 2015, the European Union (EU), acting on the basis of Council Regulation 1005/2008 on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, placed Taiwan on the list of “Yellow Card” countries that are not cooperating in combating IUU fishing. The reasons they gave for doing this were that: (i) Taiwan’s fisheries legal framework had loopholes; (ii) punishment mechanisms were unable to deter IUU fishing; and (iii) Taiwan was unable to exert effective management of its distant-water fishing fleet. The Fisheries Agency of the COA has, with respect to the 11 action plans recommended by the EU, adopted a variety of improvement measures under the four aspects of “legal framework,” “monitoring, control, and surveillance” (MCS), “traceability,” and “international cooperation.” We will follow up by enforcing these various measures, in order to combat IUU fishing and cultivate and protect marine resources. These measures include:

(a) In February of 2017 the COA established a 24-hour Fisheries Monitoring Center to monitor fishing vessel operations in real time.

(b) The COA developed small portable “Voyage Data Recorders” (VDRs) suitable for use on small fishing boats (or rafts). In 2017 the COA completed distribution of about 13,000 VDRs to fishermen for trial use. We also installed “Voyage Data Reading Devices” at 80 district fishermen’s associations and offices, to provide for fishermen to read VDR data and upload data. In the future this data can be used as the basis for calculating relevant benefits for the fishing industry such as fuel subsidies or incentives to temporarily suspend fishing. When violations of regulations or maritime incidents occur, it can be used to clarify the violations of regulations or assign responsibility for incidents. After the voyage data undergoes statistical analysis, it will be helpful to understanding the distribution (in time and space) of all kinds of fishing industries, to serve as important reference material for fisheries administration and management.

(B) The mechanism for retiring harmful fishing gear and fishing methods from use

　　The gill-net fishing industry is one of the most important fishing industries in Taiwan, but the materials it uses do not easily rot away. If these materials are lost or abandoned during operations, they then become random “ghost” fishing gear trapping marine life, destroying coastal habitats, and affecting the survival of marine life in reef areas. Given these facts, in order to protect our coastal habitats and environment and ensure sustainable use of resources, the COA has been promoting “measures for getting gill-net fishing boats to withdraw to at least three nautical miles into the ocean to operate.” We have also been pro-actively guiding operators in the gill-net fishing industry to shift over to other kinds of fishing methods including pole-and-line fishing and troll-line fishing, thereby working from the source to reduce the number of fishing boats (or rafts) that operate in the gill-net fishing industry.

5.　Maintaining forest ecological resources and promoting nature conservation

(A) Tree-planting, afforestation, and combating illegal logging

　　Within the primary condition of preserving the nation’s land resources, the COA promotes (i) resources surveys, (ii) inventories and inspections of manmade forest, (iii) new afforestation, and (iv) protection of the nation’s forest and land resources. In 2017 we completed 1,490.89 hectares of afforestation, thinned 246.23 hectares of forest, and produced 10,922 cubic meters of lumber. We also conducted 120,735 forest patrols, and brought together 27 communities, 202 volunteers, and five hiking clubs at universities and colleges to participate in preservation of the nation’s land. The COA also (a) utilized high-tech equipment to monitor forest areas and combat illegal behavior; (b) reclaimed 1,006 hectares of illegally occupied forest; (c) handled 53 forest fires covering 19 hectares; (d) interdicted 208 violations of the Forestry Act, sending 227 persons to be prosecuted; and (e) recovered 318.92 hectares of afforestation land from renters of national forest, with compensation paid to those renters.

(B) Developing the under-forest economy suited to specific areas

　　Acting within the principles of maintaining forest vegetation and not using weed- or pest-killing pesticides or chemical fertilizers, as a result of experiments we have already listed technical norms for “forest bee-raising,” “mountain litsea,” “Taiwan jewel orchid,” and “wood mushroom and fungus.” In the future we will establish demonstration areas on both public and private forest land to promote these, and assess laws and regulations for controlling these activities.

(C) Promoting conformance of productive forest management with international norms

　　The COA is promoting conformance of productive forest management with the norms of international forest certifications such as by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). We took the concepts of the forest management standards developed by the FSC and introduced them into the management system for national forest. We also held the FSC auditor training course and educated our colleagues at the eight Forest District Offices with those standards. In order to put the concept of sustainable management into our daily forestry practices, we initiated amendments of our national forest management plan, and reviewed related procedural documents, to fit the FSC requirements.

(D) Promoting environmental education

　　The COA has promoted the Dongyanshan and seven other Nature Centers, and in 2017 provided 112,000 high quality environmental learning opportunities. Moreover, in May we held an activity entitled the “Forestry Bureau’s Forest Carnival,” at which we provided service to 2200 attendees. In addition, we also offered courses for wildlife volunteers at the Danongdafu Forest Park in Hualien.

(E) Promoting nature conservation

　　With the aims of sustainable development and nature conservation, the COA ensured the integrity of 85 protected areas, conducted 7,589 habitat patrols, discovered and eliminated hunting equipment in 388 cases, conducted seven preventions of invasive species, and rescued and provided medical treatment to 6,213 animals of protected species being illegally smuggled. Also, care and medical treatment were given to 5,527 wild animals by the animal shelters of cities and counties, and there were 393 “virtual identifications” of wildlife. The COA also handled 80 cases of beached whales and dolphins and 183 of beached sea turtles. We have also worked with religious groups to operate four areas for the release of captive animals into the wild. In addition, the COA held 30 conservation education and training courses, and approved 216 applications from nine local governments to subsidize local governments in guiding farmers to undertake demonstration projects for prevention of damage to agriculture by Formosan macaques. Finally, we also promoted restoration of wetlands ecological systems, including terraced fields and land subsidence areas, and constructed terraced field demonstration zones in three locations.

6.　Promoting a win-win situation for agriculture and green energy

　　In coordination with the promotion of the country’s renewable energy policy, in the Regulations for Examining the Application of Structuring Farming Facilities on Agricultural Land, the COA took the definition of green energy facilities as laid out in the Renewable Energy Development Act—solar energy, wind energy, and non-pumped storage hydropower—and integrated this into norms and permission to install these facilities on the rooftops of agricultural facilities or on farmland (under the precondition of not affecting agricultural operations). Moreover, we amended the above-mentioned Regulations on June 28, 2017 with clear stipulations to put into practice the goal of “agriculture in the main, green energy as value-added.”

　　With respect to the scope for permission to install green energy facilities which are disadvantageous for agriculture, the COA has so far announced a total of 38 areas covering 2,383 hectares. Other important measures and the action situation for measures to promote agricultural green energy include the following:

(A) Encouragement of green energy rooftops on livestock and poultry buildings: Along with city and county governments, the COA has been pro-actively promoting the attachment of green energy facilities to the rooftops of livestock and poultry buildings, to advance the development of green energy and the upgrading of the animal husbandry industry. As of the end of 2017, the COA had promoted the installation of a total capacity of 224 MW. This can reduce the costs of constructing livestock and poultry buildings and at the same time increase farmers’ incomes.

(B) Accelerating experiments in, and development of, aquaculture and energy coexistence: The COA is implementing a trial program for installing solar power facilities on ponds for raising hard clams, milkfish, and tilapia. We are taking 5,672 hectares of surface area in hard clam production areas as the priority target area for promotion of this program. The COA hopes to develop an innovative industrial model combining green energy with aquaculture, to create a model for a win-win situation for agriculture and green energy.

(C) Promoting the combination of agricultural water with solar power: On December 18, 2017, the COA amended the Management Directions of Irrigation and Drainage for Irrigation Association to pro-actively guide irrigation associations to promote the installation of solar power systems on ponds and drainage channels, thereby employing the multiple functions of irrigation and power generation. As of the end of 2017, irrigation associations including those in Taoyuan and Shihmen had already completed recruitment of 26 businesses to participate.

7.　Improving the situation with respect to the shortage of agricultural labor

　　On January 16, 2017, the Office of Agriculture Human Resource was established. It is specially charged with formulating, harmonizing, and overseeing agricultural manpower development policy, as well as planning and promotion work for measures to deal with the agricultural manpower shortage.

In order to deal with the situation of seasonal agricultural labor shortages, in 2017 the COA formed a total of 13 technical teams, 15 cultivation teams, and 6 teams of prisoners on furlough, for a total of 742 persons recruited to do agricultural service work. The operational model takes the manpower dispatcher unit as the center, which first surveys neighboring areas to see if they can offer year-round jobs, and then dispatches personnel to serve at farms with a shortage of workers. The COA also provides an employment incentive, an agricultural service fund, and transportation costs to strengthen the willingness of manpower teams to remain in agricultural service. In 2017 the total number of farms served was 4,145 farm-times, with the number of working days reaching 71,217 days.

　　With respect to industries that face year-round labor shortages, the COA formed one dairy-cow raising team and two tea professional teams. We recruited 100 people to undergo technical training, and it is anticipated that these people will formally take jobs on dairy farms and tea plantations in 2018, where they will undertake dairy-cow raising and tea plantation management work.

　　Also, to expand diversified channels to introduce agricultural labor to farms, in 2017 the COA promoted various plans including agricultural volunteer teams, “one-day farmers,” and agricultural career exploration for overseas Chinese students. These programs allowed tourists to have the experience of serving on farms, and opened up opportunities for overseas Chinese students to go to farms to explore careers in agriculture during their after-class time on weekdays and on weekends, and from there to provide assistance with arduous agricultural work on farms. More than 1,000 people participated.

　　To make agricultural manpower management and assignment of labor easier, the COA has also constructed an Agricultural Human Resource website and the Agricultural Human Resource APP. These are provided for use in adjusting supply and demand during manpower shortages in different crop seasons. Farms that need workers and laborers willing to work on farms can go through the platforms’ matching function, to make the search for agricultural jobs and labor more smooth. Moreover, through the COA’s Agriculture and Food Agency and the various district agricultural research and extension stations, we have collected information on the distribution of relevant industries, and through the matching platforms we release agricultural labor early warnings and information on the demand for labor, in order to expand the matching function.

8.　Training new farmers

(A) Strengthening training at the school end

　　In 2017 the COA began trial implementation of the “plan for incentives for high school students to go into agriculture.” We provided monetary incentives (scholarships for students with high grades and subsidies to students who participated in farming career exploration) to a total of 200 people from farm management departments at 11 schools including National Miaoli Agricultural and Industrial Vocational High School. This increased the willingness of high school students to go into agriculture and encouraged students who graduated from high schools or vocational high schools last year to give priority to jobs in agriculture. During the period of their employment, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labor deposited a total of NT$10,000 per month as preparatory funds for future education or entrepreneurship and as employment allowances. These funds allow young people to have enough resources to plan their future direction in life.

　　At the university end, in 2017 the COA organized four publicly funded agricultural classes, offering precision training to 155 people who could be future farmers needed in agriculture. As for those who actually did go into agriculture after graduation, the COA offered them priority access to loans for purchasing land or starting up a business as well as related guidance measures. 　　In addition, the COA pro-actively promoted “agricultural career exploration” for students from agricultural schools. We provided students from seven schools, including National Taiwan University and National Chung Hsing University, with opportunities to advance their practical experience in order to have the skills needed in the agricultural workplace. In 2017 the COA provided internships for 296 students at 75 farms.

(B) Strengthening guidance resources at the workplace end

　　In 2017 the COA continued to promote guidance for the “Top 100 Young Farmers.” We have done this four times, selecting a total of 469 benchmark young farmers. Besides providing each young farmer with case-by-case companion-style guidance in production technology and techniques and operational management, we also—depending upon the development situation of each case—gave necessary help with equipment and marketing.

　　In addition, the COA has guided the establishment of 16 service platforms at the city and county level for exchanges between local young farmers. As of 2017, a total of 3,518 local young farmers had joined, leading to more organization and collective cooperation, as well as the passing along of production and marketing experience.

　　In addition the COA also finalized the Directions of Loan for Youths Establishing Agricultural Businesses, setting the interest rate at 1.29%, with the maximum loan being NT$10 million. Young farmers can also apply for special-case agricultural loans including loans for farmers and fishermen for guidance and assistance in management improvement, loans for purchasing land, loans for farm machinery, and compositing loans for farmhouses, depending upon need. Since starting in 2012 up through the end of 2017, there were a total of over 1,000 loans, with the approved amount exceeding NT$1.5 billion, including provision of loans for youths establishing agricultural businesses given to the “Top 100 Young Farmers” with a maximum amount of NT$5 million with all interest subsidized over a five-year term. Besides providing operating capital, the COA also promoted the policies for “Small Landlord, Big Professional Farmer” and revitalization of fallow land, and moreover linked up with public land parcels to augment the parcels on the online land bank (https://ezland.afa.gov.tw/ForSale.aspx) and enhance its matching function, with priority in sending out information to young farmers to assist them in acquiring land and expanding the scale of their operations. In 2017 we also coordinated with the Ministry of the Interior to amend the priority list for renting of farmland in the Regulations of Leasing National Farmland to move the “Top 100 Young Farmers” up to the number two spot in the priority list, thereby assisting young farmers to more easily acquire land.

(C) Establishing a learning network, upgrading the management capabilities of young farmers

　　The COA integrated all the instructional resources of the district agricultural research and extension stations under its jurisdiction and, based on the requirements of farmers, mapped out the curriculum for the “Farmers’ Academy,” providing diversified and systematized training. In 2017 the Academy offered 156 classes with 5,011 people undergoing training. In addition, there is a digital learning platform, offering a curriculum of 107 online learning courses and issuing an online newsletter, with 38,095 people subscribing.

In addition, the COA established the “Young Farmers Guidance Website,” which provides content that includes the experience of successful young farmers, consulting services, technical assistance, land requirements, capital requirements, the trading situation, and marketing channels. This makes it easier for young farmers to get information and consulting services

9.　Putting animal protection into practice

(A) Source management of dogs

　　As of the end of 2017, there were 99,762 newly registered dogs across the country, with the cumulative total for registration reaching 64.18% of all dogs. The COA also worked with animal welfare groups and pet industry groups to guide owners to take lifelong responsibility for their pets, and put an end to abandonment of dogs. We also constructed a specific management mechanism at the source for breeding dogs, setting the rule that all those running dog breeding, buying and selling, and kenneling businesses must apply for a permit in order to operate. In 2017, we investigated 16,671 cases of illegal breeding or buying and selling of dogs, handing out administrative punishments in 31 cases.

　　In order to strengthen control of the dog population, and effectively reach the goal of reducing numbers at the source, in 2017 the COA implemented a special national plan for neutering of domesticated dogs. During the period of this activity, we completed a total of 16,157 dog registrations and neuterings across the country, an increase of 58% over the figure of 10,198 reached in the same period in 2016.

(B) Coordinating and adjusting measures for the new “No Kill” policy at public animal shelters

　　On February 6, 2017, the COA, acting on the basis of the stipulations in the Animal Protection Act, began implementing, as scheduled, the “No Kill” policy at public animal shelters. Relevant coordinating measures were as follows:

(a) High volume and high-intensity neutering: The COA promoted the implementation of the plan for control of the dog population by cities and counties using methods appropriate to their situations, to mobilize people for complete participation at the village and ward level to produce high-intensity neutering at the source for stray dogs. In 2017 the rate of neutering increased from 48% in 2016 to 52%. We will continue to undertake high-intensity neutering measures to cut back, from the source, the numbers of animals that need shelters.

(b) Raising the turnover utilization rate at shelters: The COA increased the overall animal sheltering capacity, guided management of private shelters depending upon the quality of their management, and encouraged city and county governments to use the methods of commissioning or designation to guide private dog shelters under their jurisdiction to transform into animal shelters that act on behalf of or as designated by the city or county. In 2017 the adoption rate increased from 75% in 2016 to over 81%.

(c) Building an animal shelter management system: The animal shelter management system is expected to be completed in January, 2018. This will publicize the individual real-time dynamic information about, and the number of, animals under care at the animal shelters of all cities and counties. When the number of animals reaches the limit for a given shelter, it will temporarily halt intakes of animals to control the quality of the shelter.

(d) Improving government animal control and sheltering facilities: The COA has assisted 18 city and county governments to finish a five-year program (2014-2018) to complete construction (or renovation) of animal shelters within their jurisdiction. As of the end of 2017, a total of six cities and counties had completed inspection and acceptance, while the remaining 12 have already launched their construction (renovation) projects at animal shelters and, in order, have undertaken the tasks of planning for the initial period of the projects, structure design and supervision, and bidding by contractors for actual construction work.

(C) Humane management of economic and experimental animals

　　In order to protect the welfare of economic animals, in 2017 the COA oversaw local governments in making inspections of transport and slaughtering operations on 471 occasions, and held 45 lectures for animal transport personnel and slaughtering personnel, with 3,399 people earning transport personnel lecture-attendance certification. Moreover, the COA continued to undertake education and training related to humane management at institutions that use animals for scientific applications and to pro-actively promote the principle of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement). We also held 91 onsite inspections of institutions that use animals for scientific applications.