When President Xiaoying visited the Nongye lotus industry in the United States, he did not mention to solve the shortage of workers, and the farmers were "a little disappointed".

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President Tsai ing-wen went south to Kaohsiung today (June 23) to be concerned about the development of Meinong wild lotus and Qishan banana industry, but Tsai ing-wen did not say anything about the long-term serious shortage of workers in the wild lotus industry. After the president left, farmers privately described their feelings as "a little disappointed," because the 800 places planned by the Council of Agriculture may not even be enough for Meinung, not to mention the whole of Taiwan.

In order to ease the shortage of agricultural workers, the Council of Agriculture proposed in April this year that 800 young adults aged 20 to 45 from four countries, including Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, would be allowed to come to Taiwan for holiday work, and mainly targeted foreign young people with relatives in Taiwan. In response, Zhong Deying, monitor of the 19th class of Meinong vegetable production and marketing class, said that we should not take too big steps to solve the problem of labor shortage, otherwise it would easily lead to a backlash from labor groups.

The main labor force of the wild lotus industry, that is, the Vietnamese sisters, have a slightly different view. Some people think that the age of working in Taiwan should be raised, because "our parents are 50 or 60 years old, and if they are limited to 20 to 45 years old, it doesn't seem to be of any help." In addition, some sisters thought, "I am Taiwanese myself!" I am afraid that opening up too quickly will have an impact on Taiwan. I hope there will be good matching and do it step by step. "

Kaohsiung City has actively promoted the export of agricultural products in recent years, among which Yelian has successfully entered the markets of Singapore and Canada. However, few people have noticed that these wild lotus, which made a name for Taiwan, are almost the work of new residents or relatives of new residents. (courtesy of Kaohsiung Municipal Bureau of Agriculture)

Whether to open up family-based work as part of the new southward policy

Tsai Shunrou, director of the office of the Pingtung good Women's Rights Development Association, says that Filipinos like to be nurses and Thais like to be cooks. "our experience in the southern countryside is that most farmers in the fields are Vietnamese, perhaps in terms of nationality." the government can be closer to reality. "

Secondly, some people from their parents come to Taiwan to help, which is absolutely helpful to the development of Taiwanese families composed of new residents. Moreover, if agricultural workers can be brought in by relying on their relatives, they can also reduce their chances of being exploited by intermediaries. However, Tsai Shunrou is full of doubts about the upper limit of the number of people to be opened. "there are 800 new residents in Gaoshu, Pingtung," she said. "these women work not only for farming, but also for their own rented land. do the 800 strong men of the Council of Agriculture only give one place for each of the new residents in Gaoshu Township?"

Tsai Shunrou also shouted to the government, "the positive opening up echoes President Tsai's new southward policy."

Lai Mei-ping, director of the southern office of the Nanyang Sisters Association, Taiwan's first organization that cares about new residents, believes that she hopes that while the government is open to work by relatives, it can take the opportunity to review the labor rights and interests of sisters from farmers and those who work with relatives in the future. She stressed that people should not just be regarded as labor force. "Taiwan society must realize that what we need is labor, but it is people who come."

Lai Meiping said that in the event of job disasters or labor disputes, there should be a relevant supporting system to deal with these people who work according to their relatives.

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