Taiwan-trained Pinoy farmers to get land

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino farmers who learned modern farming methods in Taiwan will get land, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) announced over the weekend.

MECO chair Silvestre Bello III said he talked with appropriate government agencies for the grant of farmland to 48 interns who completed their training in modern agricultural production in Taiwan this month.

“In this manner, our internship graduates will be able to demonstrate model farms utilizing advance technologies in farming, aquaculture, poultry, dairy and other fields of agricultural and fisheries production and value chain management,” Bello said in a statement.

Bello noted that the 48 interns comprised the second batch of graduates of the Filipino Young Farmers Internship Program, a partnership of MECO and the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office.

MECO expects the program, which started in 2021, to boost the Philippines’ agricultural sector.

The first batch of 29 farmers finished the 11-month program in September 2022 while the second batch of 48 interns flew to Taiwan in August 2022 and were deployed to 33 host farms.

Of the second batch, 17 farmers were trained in vegetable farms, 12 in fruit orchards, six in rice production, four in mushroom farms, three in swine production, three in poultry farms, two in dairy farms and one each in aquaculture and cut flower farming.

According to MECO, at least 100 slots are open this year for farmers 19 to 28 years old who are interested in on-the-job training in Taiwanese farms.

Trainees are provided with free lodging and at least $600 monthly allowance for the 11-month training period, but must shoulder their one-way airfare to Taiwan.

Applicants are screened by the Agricultural Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture.