Page 4 - 2019 Annual Report Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan

PREFACE
Faced with problems that include climate change, trade liberalization, rural labor shortages, an aging rural population, animal and plant epidemics, and a changed production and marketing structure, Taiwan must accelerate the upgrading of agriculture and drastically improve the farm industrial structure. The Council of Agriculture (COA), in accordance with the overall direction of national development, bases its policies on the principles of "innovation, employment, and equitable distribution." The COA has been promoting the "New Agriculture Innovation Program" since 2017 and has been steadily implementing policies to adjust agriculture with the objectives of increasing farmers’ incomes and ensuring the safety of food for consumers. We have also continually made progress toward upgrading farmers’ welfare, improving the basic environment, and raising competitiveness, while working together with
various sectors of society to resolve farmers’ problems, protect their rights and interests, encourage young people to go into agriculture, and promote industrial upgrading, to build up a New Agriculture ensuring well-being for all.
In 2019, thanks to the joint efforts of all our colleagues at the COA and of all sectors of society, there were many breakthrough developments in the industrial structure and related systems. Not only did Taiwan successfully prevent the spread of African swine fever into the country, get the "Yellow Card" issued by the European Union for Taiwan’s deep-sea fishing industry lifted, develop local primary processing of agricultural products, and become recognized as a zone free of foot-and- mouth disease, but also, through upgrading of equipment and development of diversified sales channels, Taiwan opened new markets