FM Lin meets with Australia-bound Young Agriculture Ambassadors

Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) A group of 16 Australia-bound Young Agricultural Ambassadors was presented with Taiwan's flag by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) at a ceremony in Taipei on Tuesday.

Addressing the event, Lin said the ambassadors, selected for their expertise in biotechnology, recreational farming and organic fertilizers, will have multiple exchanges with Australian agricultural communities during their visit from Nov. 22 to Nov. 30.

Aside from conducting exchanges on agricultural affairs, the delegation will also visit Australian Indigenous communities and government authorities responsible for Indigenous affairs, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Taiwan and Australia share close ties in the agricultural sector, Lin said, noting that the two countries have held annual agricultural working group meetings since 2004, with the latest edition, held in Brisbane earlier this year, focusing on climate change responses and AI automation.

Speaking during the same event, Australian representative to Taiwan, Robert Fergusson, welcomed the group of young farmers from Taiwan to visit his country.

Both Australian and Taiwanese farmers are facing the challenges of climate change and consumer expectations, and the need to be more profitable and productive in a competitive global environment, Fergusson said.

But farmers of the ambassadors' generation also have many advantages, including the benefit of innovative technology, Fergusson noted.

"Whether that is automation or AI or more advanced science, you have tools you can use to help address the challenges you will face," the Australian envoy said.

"As we face these shared challenges, there is much we can learn from each other. Both Australian and Taiwanese farmers are united in embracing innovation and technology to address and ensure a more sustainable agricultural future," Fergusson added.

He expressed hopes that the Taiwanese delegation will form networks and friendships with their Australian counterparts during the trip.

The government-funded annual Young Agricultural Ambassadors program aims to promote exchanges between Taiwan and 18 countries targeted by the New Southbound Policy.

According to MOFA, 138 ambassadors aged 18 to 45 with expertise in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and animal husbandry have traveled to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, and Thailand since MOFA and the Ministry of Agriculture launched the initiative in 2017.

The New Southbound Policy was launched in 2016 under then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to expand the country's economic, educational, and cultural links with 10 ASEAN member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.