TPP's Ko calls for AI implementation during agricultural policy reveal

New Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) called for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve Taiwan's farming environment during a news conference in which he revealed his agricultural policies on Thursday.

Ko proposed five main policies that he said would improve Taiwan's agricultural industry at his campaign headquarters in New Taipei's Xinzhuang District.

Firstly, he said Taiwan should set up a database of agricultural products and farmland, and use AI to create an industry-academia-government dialogue platform, which he said would help to establish a robust nationwide agricultural system.

He added that Taiwan should regard food security as a matter of national security and establish a "strategic food security plan," so that Taiwan can react quickly to ensure sufficient food supply should the country face extreme weather events or be sealed off due to swirling geopolitical currents.

Thirdly, he acknowledged that smallholder farmers find it difficult to promote their products and proposed providing assistance to help them establish their brands and collaborate with other companies with the goal of increasing the value of their products and entering the global market.

He also pledged to raise the "maternity benefits" for those covered by the Farmer Health Insurance from NT$61,200 (US$1,944) to NT$102,000, in a bid to attract young people to return home and work in the industry, which he said is particularly important as most farmers in Taiwan are over 65 years old.

Finally, Ko proposed increasing Taiwan's agricultural carbon sink -- when more carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere than is released -- by using growing methods that increase carbon capture and sequestration, and by growing crops that absorb a lot of carbon.