Taipei, June 10 (CNA) A task force to promote a rejuvenation of Taiwan's agriculture will be set up July 1, an official of the task force's preparatory committee said Tuesday.
Echoing an idea initiated by Vice President Annette Lu in late May to inject new life into Taiwan's agriculture and help the country deal with the impact of the country's admission into the World Trade Organization and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) , representatives of related government agencies, civic organizations and scholars met that day at the Presidential Office and decided to form a preparatory committee for the establishment of the task force.
Addressing the meeting, Lu said that the task force will promote four new agricultural movements -- cultivating "new farmers, " creating "new agriculture, " building "new farming villages" and establishing " new farmers' associations."
A new farmer should have the characteristics of the "three Es" -- knowledge of English, Electronics and Earth -- according to Lu. She added that the new agricultural methods should produce safe, fresh, healthy and delicious products. "New farming villages" should be clean, beautiful and internationalized, while the new farmers' association's should help transfer traditional agriculture to knowledge-based farming methods, she continued.
The preparatory meeting also decided to invite foreign diplomats and representatives stationed in Taiwan to visit agricultural establishments, to allow them to get first hand information on Taiwan's advanced agricultural technology and development.