Uncrewed quadcopters are being tested as dusters on tea farms in the Wuhe (舞鶴) area of Haulien County’s Ruisui Township (瑞穗), the Council of Agriculture said on Wednesday.
It is cooperating on the pilot project with the Corporate Synergy Development Center, the council said.
The project is part of the government’s effort to facilitate the upgrade of tea plantations to produce black oolong tea in middle and low-altitude regions in eastern Taiwan, the Taitung branch of the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau said.
Photo: CNA
The statement came after workers demonstrated the use of drones in Wuhe to 34 local farmers earlier that day.
To fly the drones, farmers would have to obtain aviation and agrochemical use certifications, Hualien Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Development Association president Huang Ye-ping (黃冶平) said.
The government is providing subsidies for agricultural drones through a program that seeks to encourage farmers to use labor-saving technology, Agriculture and Food Agency Eastern District Deputy Director Chen Chi-tsun (陳吉村) said.
So far, only three such drones are in use in the district, which encompasses Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties, he said, urging better promotion of the subsidies.
Eligible for subsidies are members of registered farmer’s cooperatives who use drones that meet performance requirements and are made in a country other than China, he said.
The subsidy covers one-third of their drones’ buying price or NT$200,000 in cash, Chen said, adding that some township offices in eastern Taiwan top up the subsidy with another 10 percent of the drones’ buying price or NT$220,000 in cash.
Gao Chao-hsu (高肇昫), whose farm covers 30 hectares, said that farm hands are hard to find in the current economy.
Drones can be of great help, especially if they are utilized to apply fertilizers and for dew removal, Gao added.
Planters would probably need a transition period to be able to afford the drones, which cost about NT$100,000 per unit, Gao added.
Drones produced by Taiwanese companies have better aftermarket support and do not threaten Taiwan’s national security, said Hsu jung-yu (徐榮域), a local farmer who recently obtained a certificate to operate uncrewed aerial vehicles.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
RSS