Taiwan

Mainland farmers cultivate skills in Taiwan

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-05 07:42

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - A group of 19 farmers from South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region began training courses on the latest agricultural technologies and management in Taiwan on Sunday.

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During their 10-day stay in Taichung, central Taiwan, they will learn from Taiwan agricultural experts, share their experiences with local farmers and visit local farms, said Zhang Mingpei, director of Guangxi's agriculture department, which sponsored the training courses.

All of them are leading farm owners in Guangxi and some are heads of a local farmers' association, he said.

"I am interested in the management of tourism farms and I would like to learn how to operate eco-friendly farms. I have heard that Taiwan farmers do quite well in these two fields," said Zhang Zhenshou, a farmer from Pubei county, Guangxi.

He also wanted to learn how farmers' associations in Taiwan organize production and marketing.

"Taiwan has a natural environment and climate similar to Guangxi. It is a leader in developing highly efficient agriculture, growing new species of plants and processing produce. These are all worth learning," said Guo Shengkun, secretary of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous regional committee of the Communist Party of China, who attended the opening ceremony.

Guo said that if Guangxi wants to develop modern agriculture, the farmers need to improve their knowledge and update their ideas about management and marketing.

"We hope such training can be regular," he said.

Guangxi plans to participate in such training courses annually over the next five years, said Zhang Mingpei. Every year a total of 100 farmers will come to Taiwan, where they will learn in five groups.

"Taiwan's agriculture operates in a different way from the mainland's. In the past 80 years, we have tried very hard to improve our efficiency and develop our farmers' associations. I think mainland farmers can learn something and apply it to their own business," said Chang Yung-cheng, chief executive officer of Taiwan Provincial Farmers Association, which jointly sponsored the courses with Guangxi.

Mainland and Taiwan farmers can not only learn from each other, but also gain a better understanding of each other's agricultural development, which will benefit cross-Straits agricultural cooperation, he said.