TAIWAN AIMS TO BOOST FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY RATE TO 40% BY 2020

At the closing of the National Food Safety Conference on Wednesday, President Ma Ying-jeou said that the government aims to raise Taiwan's food self-sufficiency rate to 40% by 2020, an 8% increase over the current level. And that means at least 140,000 hectares of farmland lying fallow right now will have to be under cultivation again.

During the two-day National Food Safety Conference, President Ma Ying-jeou sampled a rice flour cake and gave it a big thumbs up.

Ma expressed hopes that the people of Taiwan can support domestically-grown crops so that the island can become less reliant on imported foods.

In order to achieve the government's goal of a food self-sufficiency ratio of 40% by 2020, the Council of Agriculture will have to activate 140,000 hectares of fallow farmland.

The COA is also planning to raise cash incentives to encourage farmers to plant corn, wheat, and soybeans.

However, some experts say that direct cash payments would be the most effective incentive.

Taiwan currently has around 800,000 hectares of useable farmland, but the COA lacks concrete control over the farmland.

The council is planning to conduct a comprehensive national survey by the end of the year to determine Taiwan's actual production capability.

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