Taiwanese Mushrooms Offer 'Peace of Mind Quality' Unafraid of Chinese Competition, Says Premier

Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai visited a mushroom cultivation farm in Xinshe, Taichung, a major mushroom-producing area, to underscore the quality and safety of Taiwanese agricultural products. During his visit to "Sen Mu Farm," Cho praised young farmer Liu Qi-wei's adoption of smart agriculture, stating that Taiwan is becoming a leader in smart applications across industries, including agriculture.

Cho addressed concerns about competition from Chinese mushrooms, asserting that Taiwan's strength lies in its "peace of mind quality," not in competing on quantity or price. He highlighted Taiwan's strict cultivation processes, clear production traceability, and organic certifications as key differentiators. "We don't compete with China on quantity or price; we compete on peace of mind quality," Cho stated, encouraging farmers to continue upholding the "Taiwanese exquisite brand."

Beyond agricultural quality, Premier Cho announced significant policy adjustments aimed at supporting farmers. He detailed plans to reform the farmers' retirement savings system, shifting the government-farmer contribution ratio from a 50-50 split to 60-40, with the government contributing the larger share. This change aims to reduce the financial burden on farmers while maintaining or increasing their actual retirement benefits.

Furthermore, Cho revealed plans to increase the monthly pension for elderly farmers from the current NT$8,110 to NT$10,000. This adjustment is intended to better support the basic living needs of older farmers. While the goal is to implement this increase by early July, Cho acknowledged that legislative approval of the budget is necessary and expressed hope that the revised payments could be backdated to July 1 if the legislation passes.

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We don't compete with China on quantity or price; we compete on peace of mind quality.