Two Taiwan ministries to form 'smart agriculture' advisory group

Taipei, March 25 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) have decided to form a "Smart Agriculture Advisory Group" to promote Taiwan's cooperation with its diplomatic allies and friendly nations on agricultural initiatives.

The group will mobilize public and private sector resources to enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence and other smart technologies to promote precision agriculture, according to separate press releases issued by MOFA and the MOA late Monday.

The goal is for Taiwan's agricultural sector to expand its global footprint and help Taiwan's allies and friends to strengthen global food security and sustainability amid the challenges brought by climate change, the press releases said.

The statements came after Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) met at the MOA's Taipei headquarters on Monday.

During their discussion, Lin and Chen agreed to continue to team up on an aquaculture project in Palau, expand agricultural cooperation with the Philippines, and explore the possibility of operating a regional seeding center in the Caribbean, the press releases said.

They also discussed sending an agricultural mission to the United States in September as part of the government's efforts to reduce its trade surplus with America, they said.

According to the MOA, the ministry has been focusing on two strategies since 2017 to promote smart agriculture -- smart production and digital services.

The MOA is hoping that by introducing sensors, smart devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analysis, it will make agricultural cultivation more efficient and productive, according to the MOA's website.