Page 69 - 2019 Annual Report Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan

greenhouses to cultivate fruit trees. We have combined these measures with certifications of food grown in these facilities as "Organic" or as "Traceable Agricultural Products," in order to promote eco-friendly cultivation, reduce the use of pesticides, improve the quality of agriproducts, stabilize their supply, and maintain the environmental safety and competitiveness of rural communities. The COA also (i) guided the "Taiwan Agricultural Structures Association" to hold two conferences on new greenhouse technology; (ii) integrated personnel and resources in the field of agricultural facilities; (iii) strengthened the design and development capabilities of businesses in the field of facilities agriculture; (iv) upgraded the safety of agricultural structures; (v) produced a handbook on the structural safety of greenhouses; and (vi) commissioned analysis of simulations, as well as safety testing, of greenhouse construction. These measures all will help upgrade the safety of agricultural facilities.
Annual Report 2019 Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan
Agricultural vocational students made learning visits to production areas as part of the training of a new generation of farmers for production of mixed staple crops.
Bringing domestically produced soybean milk into schools and encouraging students to drink it.
(4) Creating incentives for innovation in agrotechnology
In response to severe weather caused by climate change and increasing demand for agriproducts, precision practices are essential for sustainable and resilient farming to ensure food security. The COA continuously invests in research to accelerate the innovative development of the agriculture sector. In 2019, efforts were made in the application of molecular markers for stress-resistant strains selection, development of new varieties, and improvement of production technology, in order to secure food supply in the face of adversity. These measures were helpful in stabilizing production and strengthening the resilience of the farming system. Significant achievements included: (i) a total of 14 new varieties were cultivated; and (ii) there were 111 cases of breeding-related R&D technology transfer with revenue reaching NT$22.93 million.
To stabilize production, sales and prices of agriproducts and raise the precision of agricultural crop planning, the COA applied remote sensing and ground truth techniques
Soybean seed production.
Guidance was provided in setting up a regional handling and distribution center for mixed staple crops (peanuts) with grading by quality.
Guidance was provided in developing new products made using mixed staple crops and in arranging for sales channels.
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