Agriculture ministry to build up industry resilience: official
PRIORITIES: The newly inaugurated ministry would promote a strategy for farms and fisheries to adapt to climate change, Chen Chi-chung said
Staff writer, with CNA
The newly inaugurated Ministry of Agriculture would prioritize building up the resilience of farms and fisheries in the face of climate change, Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) yesterday.
He called for a strategy to better adapt to climate change in agriculture to ensure food security and farmers’ incomes.
Chen added that the ministry would continue to provide benefits to farmers and fishers for their protection, and promote innovation in these two sectors.
At the same time, it is important for the ministry to expand cooperation with other countries, Chen said, adding that he would leave for the US to attend APEC’s Food Security Ministers’ Meeting later this week.
The Ministry of Agriculture was officially upgraded from the Council of Agriculture, headed by Chen since 2019, in line with the Organic Act of the Ministry of Agriculture (農業部組織法), which cleared the legislature in May.
A major change of the newly set up ministry is the establishment of the Department of Resources Sustainability, which would pour government resources into promoting the sustainable development of agriculture and fisheries in Taiwan.
In addition, a new department dedicated to facilitating animal welfare in view of the increasing number of pets and emphasis on their treatment in Taiwan was established.
Yesterday’s ceremony was attended by Vice President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), Legislative Speaker You Si-kun and other top government officials.
They were also joined by representatives of local farmers and fishers, as well as executives of agricultural wholesale markets and supermarket chains.
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