Future Agri-Development

56. In the future, agricultural development will work with national policies of economic liberalization and inter nationalization to focus on industrial development, farmers' and fishermen's guidance, agricultural land utilization, resource management, technological development and international agricultural cooperation, etc., selecting the most appropriate measures to meet agricultural policy goals.

With regard to industrial development, we will work to improve the agricultural management environment, develop indigenous, high value added, and low environmental cost products, and also boost product competitiveness. On the farmers' and fishermen's assistance front, we will strengthen cultivation of a core group of farmers and fishermen, promote their abilities to develop on their own and make use of an integrated plan to develop rural farming and fishing villages, as well as develop a social welfare system to boost the quality of life for farmers and fishermen. With regard to agricultural land utilization, we are working to liberalize agricultural we are working to liberalize agricultural land restrictions and appropriately adjust agricultural land for nonagricultural uses. On the resources management front, we will establish an efficient transport system for agricultural-use water resources, and strengthen land preservation and ecosystem conservation. With regard to technology development, we will speed development of biotechnology as well as develop and encourage efficient agricultural management and technology to help maintain a balanced ecosystem, all to help boost industrial upgrading. With regard to international cooperation, we are strengthening technology exchanges with developed nations and increasing exports of technology to developing nations to promote agricultural production internationalization and boost cooperation effectiveness.

57. National Agricultural Information Service

Taiwan has completed work on an integrated agricultural information computer service which includes all planning, production and marketing information for domestic farming, forestry, fishing and usbandry industries. It allows rapid access to information and is a fast channel of communication. The system is divided into five areas, including agriculture production information, forestry information, fishery information, husbandry and veterinary information and farmers" assistance information. Each area boasts electronic mail service, open forums for discussion and ways to send and receive files for farmers to gain access to free management software. Anyone with a personal computer and communications software can get the service. The service is one of the basic information services for the agricultural industry, allowing it to join the information age and break barriers of time and space to exchange ideas and opinions.