Taiwan is gearing up to revolutionize farming across the country, with public-private partnerships paving the way for a new era of potential-laden agriculture.
Case in point is cooperation between state-backed Agricultural Technology Research Institute and Taichung City-headquartered President Biotech Group in central Taiwan starting this January.
Based in the northern city of Hsinchu, ATRI is assisting the biofertilizer manufacturer in setting up microorganism decomposition and fermentation equipment at its bases at home and abroad, as well as upgrading its production process at a new plant in the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture’s Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park in the southern Taiwan county.
Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park in the southern county is a key player in charting a sustainable development course for Taiwan’s agricultural sector.
PBG is among 100-plus resident firms at PABP, which provides subsidies and facilitates cross-sector collaboration for tenants operating in a wide range of sectors. In addition, other local research organizations are joining ATRI and PABP in supporting the technological overhaul of Taiwan’s agricultural value chain.
Another major move is expanding the sector exchanges with local academic institutions, particularly the country’s top-ranked National Taiwan University in Taipei City.
Lur Huu-sheng, dean of NTU’s College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture and former head of the COA’s Department of Science and Technology, said the time is ripe to combine the country’s agricultural prowess and information and communication technology.
One of the architects of the COA’s ongoing smart farming projects launched in 2017, Lur said the initiative seeks to enhance efficiency and reduce business risks by promoting the use of cutting-edge technologies like high-performance data analytics, intelligent mechanization, Internet of Things and remote sensing techniques.
Micro weather stations collect rice growth data utilized for planning fertilizer application, irrigation and other pest and disease control measures.
With climate change posing threats to all aspects of modern life, agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors, Lur said. Embracing new technologies is the only way to ensure sustainable agricultural development, he added.
As part of efforts to train up a new cohort of tech-savvy personnel, the college recently revamped an interdisciplinary curriculum integrating learning resources including agricultural economics, bioenvironmental systems engineering and horticulture as well as ICT-related fields. The program’s courses and internship opportunities are meticulously designed to imbue students with a thorough understanding of every stage ranging from production to consumption, Lur said.
According to Lur, industrial outreach endeavors to date include collaborating with Tainan-based drone developer Geosat Aerospace and Technology Inc. since 2019 to explore the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for agricultural purposes.
Blockchain technology is used to record product delivery to guard against data falsification.
Drones do much more than spraying pesticides and fertilizers, Lur said. They offer digital imaging and remote sensing capacities playing an instrumental role in propelling Taiwan’s farming sector toward a sustainable future, he added.
The next generation of scientists and engineers are already leading the way toward a new reality of smart agriculture by integrating superior farming techniques and advanced digital technology, Lur said.
Despite the uncertain times ahead, Lur believes unprecedented knowledge, tools and resources will help usher in a farming revival while forging a healthy and prosperous future for all. (SFC-E) (By Pat Gao)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
(This article is adapted from Future Farming in the September/October 2021 issue of Taiwan Review. The Taiwan Review archives dating to 1951 are available online.)