Policies and development plans for closer agricultural
co-operation with Taiwan are being drawn up by officials in south
China's Guangdong Province and east China's Fujian Province.
Cheng Ganrong, an official with Guangdong's agricultural
department, said yesterday the province will set up experimental
zones for agricultural schemes in the cities of Foshan in the Pearl
River Delta and Zhanjiang, in the west of the province.
He said it was part of the 15 measures outlined by the Communist
Party of China during the Cross-Straits Economic and Trade Forum
held last week in Beijing.
The official said the province would announce favourable
policies to attract more Taiwan business people to invest in its
agricultural sector.
Guangdong is considering setting up a zone for Taiwan farmers'
investment in the city of Jiangmen, where many Taiwan farmers have
already set up projects.
Cheng said that an association would be launched this year to
facilitate cross-Straits agricultural exchange and
communications.
"The association is expected to serve as a platform for
agricultural communication and co-operation between Guangdong and
Taiwan and for the introduction of agricultural professionals and
management mechanisms from Taiwan," he said.
Taiwan-funded agricultural enterprises have helped the province
greatly boost its agricultural development, said Cheng.
New technologies and facilities have invigorated and modernized
the agricultural sector in the province, he added.
Official statistics indicate that Taiwan business people have
set up more than 1,000 agricultural enterprises in the province and
their investments have surpassed US$1 billion since the early
1990s.
Popular locations for their agricultural investments are the
Pearl River Delta Region cities as well as Zhanjiang, Maoming and
Zhaoqing in the west of the province.
Most are involved in the development of orchards, floral
cultivation and poultry farms.
At a forum held recently in Foshan, Li Ronggen, vice-governor of
Guangdong, said that the province would like to strengthen
co-operation with Taiwan in the processing of agricultural
products, in agricultural production, marketing and sales,
international trade, and new technologies.
The vice-governor said that the Guangdong-Taiwan agricultural
co-operation is an important element in the province's 11th Five-Year Guidelines (2006-10).
According to Zhuang Xiujuan, a professor with South China
University of Agriculture, the Guangdong-Taiwan agricultural
co-operation will be good for both sides.
Guangdong boasts a similar climate, an excellent investment
environment and huge market, and adequate supplies of land and
labourers, she said.
The expert suggested that the agricultural sector of the
province could learn more about agricultural management and
marketing from Taiwan business people, in addition to their
planting know-how.
In Fujian, the provincial government is making efforts to expand
the cross-Straits experimental zones for agricultural co-operation
in the cities of Fuzhou and Zhangzhou to the whole province this
year.
The province's contracted investment from Taiwan in agricultural
projects is expected to reach US$120 million this year.
Wang Jianwen, vice-director with the administrative committee of
the development park for Taiwan farmers in Zhangpu of Fujian
Province, said: "Thanks to the central government's support to our
park, we are trying to build it into a new platform for Taiwan
farmers developing in the mainland."
Twelve Taiwan-based companies have already entered the park,
which has a planned final area of 667 hectares, to begin their
operations, with a total investment of US$15 million.
Lu Zhuang-chuan, a man from Taiwan now operating his farm in a
similar environment, Fuzhou Development Park for Taiwanese Farmers,
said: "There is no problem on the distribution of my products, but
the output in my farms is still short for demand."
Lu has decided to rent 15 more hectares of farmland this year in
addition to his present 15 hectares to make up for losses caused by
the two strong typhoons that hit Fujian last year.
"The cost in labour and transportation here is only about
one-third of that in Taiwan, so our products are very competitive,"
said Lu.
According to statistics, Fujian had approved 1,783 agricultural
projects invested in by Taiwan business people by the end of
2005.
(China Daily April 19, 2006)