The Council of Agriculture’s “Improving Seasonal Agricultural Labor Shortage Plan 2.0” is an effort to recruit young people to the agricultural industry so as to remedy the problem of seasonal labor shortages. Those who passed a required physical fitness test were admitted to an agricultural techniques training course at the Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station (TTDARES) on July 10. They learned about pruning, cutting, placing fruit coverings, flower/fruit thinning, applying fertilizer, and harvesting. After a written test and a field test, 20 of the participants will be selected to be sent to farms that need assistance in August by the dispatching and coordinating Farmer’s Associations (the Taimali and Taitung Farmer’s Associations, respectively).

TTDARES Director Chen Hsin-yen hosted the opening. Technical specialist Huang Shu-hui from the Council of Agriculture Human Resources Development Office, Director Li Jun-de of the Taitung County Farmer’s Association, Director-General Zhuang Qing-hui of the Taimali Farmer’s Association, and Secretary Li Chuan-sheng of the Taitung Farmer’s Association were present to offer guidance. Huang and Chen congratulated the participants for making it to the second stage of selection and encouraged them to stay serious and diligent in their training. Attendees from the local Farmer’s Associations stated that the participants would be needed in the future to improve the state of seasonal agricultural labor supply.

Moreover, Director-General Huang Li-zhen of the Nanzhou Farmer’s Association (in Pingtung) and growers from Kaohsiung were invited to share their experiences. The TTDARES looks forward to these new recruits becoming highly proficient in their work, boosting Taitung’s agricultural competitiveness.