Support Agriculture, Solve Labor Shortage: Chen Pin-an Advocates for Migrant Worker Coordination Platform

Chen Pin-an, a candidate for Miaoli County Magistrate, has proposed the creation of a centralized platform to manage foreign agricultural workers, aiming to alleviate the persistent labor shortage in the county's vital agricultural sector. Miaoli, known for its significant agricultural output, including grapes, starfruit, strawberries, citrus, high-grafted pears, and watermelons, faces a growing challenge as its farming population ages.

Chen Pin-an, who has been actively engaging with constituents, noted that the seasonal nature of agricultural production and the varying labor requirements of different crops create a complex demand for workers. To address this, she suggests that township offices and farmers' associations take the lead in establishing a coordinated system for dispatching foreign workers. Farmers could then request labor through this platform based on their immediate needs, ensuring a more systematic and responsive allocation of manpower.

"Different agricultural products have different peak seasons," Chen explained. "For example, citrus harvesting requires a large workforce. Farmers could submit their needs to the platform, and workers would be dispatched accordingly. Then, as the seasons change for other crops, workers could be reassigned or deployed for planting or other agricultural tasks based on actual demand." This approach, she believes, would not only reduce the financial strain on farmers but also create a more institutionalized system for labor management.

The proposal comes at a critical time for Miaoli's agriculture, which is a significant source of income for many local communities. By streamlining the process of acquiring and deploying foreign labor, Chen's plan aims to ensure that farmers have access to the necessary workforce during crucial periods, thereby supporting the continued production and economic viability of the region's agricultural products. The initiative seeks to provide a structured solution to a problem that affects the livelihoods of many farmers in Miaoli County.

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Different agricultural products have different peak seasons, for example, citrus harvesting requires a large workforce. Farmers could submit their needs to the platform, and workers would be dispatched accordingly, then as the seasons change for other agricultural products, possibly rotating to other crops or planting seasons when labor is urgently needed, or engaging in other agricultural work, dispatching workers according to the actual needs of the farmers.