Taiwan's agricultural history! Banana income insurance for the first time, regardless of market crashes or natural disasters to protect a certain income

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The country's first crop "income insurance", regardless of the decline in total income caused by market collapse or natural disasters, as long as you participate in insurance can guarantee a certain amount of income! The Council of Agriculture today announced the launch of a "pilot scheme for banana income insurance." this insurance breaks through the previous crop insurance only to protect "disaster losses", and income insurance also protects losses in the event of a crop crash.

The first wave targeted ─ banana, the fruit with the largest planting area in Taiwan (betel nut is not included in the range of fruits recognized by the Council of Agriculture). The selected demonstration area is the Gaoping area of the banana production area, including Qishan District, Meinong District, Daliao District, Gaoshu Township and Ligang Township in Pingtung City. After a year of trial operation, the effect will be extended to other areas. From October of this year to March of next year, it can be insured. The insurance time covers January to December 109, and the settlement time is February 110.

Regardless of market fluctuations and weather changes, ensure that farmers have a reasonable income

Zhou Miaofang, deputy director of the Planning Office of the Council of Agriculture, said that in response to agricultural operational risks such as climate change, free trade, and market price fluctuations, banana income insurance has been introduced on a trial basis. Over the years, extreme weather has had a great impact on crops, which can easily lead to crop failures. For example, the drought in February this year affected the growth of onions, and last year's warm winter prevented litchi from blooming. While the harvest is affected, market price fluctuations will also affect farmers' income.

Japan and South Korea, which have a climate similar to that of Taiwan, often promoted disaster insurance in the past, and in recent years they began to promote agricultural income insurance one after another, mainly through insurance to protect farmers' income. for this reason, bananas, the fruit with the largest planting area, were selected as the first promotion item.

The first wave in Gaoping area will be held on a trial basis, and the eligibility for insurance is as follows

The insurance policy selected Pingtung, Kaohsiung, as a pilot area. These two counties and cities are the main banana producing areas, accounting for 40% of the country's banana production, especially in the Qishan District, Meinung District, and Daliao District of Kaohsiung City, as well as Gaoshu Township and Ligang Township in Pingtung. In total, there are 3170 farmers on a trial basis, covering an area of 2258 hectares.

The eligibility for insurance is as follows:

(1) the actual planting area of bananas in the pilot area is more than 0.1 hectares. for farmers who legally use agricultural land, their bid shall be supplemented by documentary proof.

(2) the planting area is mainly produced in large quantities of bananas, and the density is in line with the local practice, and it is not allowed to be intercropped with other crops.

(3) the insured banana must be harvested during the insurance period, because it takes one year for the banana to grow, and it is not subsidized if the banana is not harvested within the insurance period.

(4) at the time of insurance, the plant must be more than 100 cm and not yet heading, and the calculated proportion per hectare will be examined from the farmers' association to the field area, and there is no limit to whether it is a healthy seedling or not.

Income security is divided into four levels, with half of the government premium subsidy per hectare.

There are four levels of income security, which are divided into 55, 60, 65 and 700000 per hectare for farmers to choose from. The quota is calculated on the basis of the benchmark price of each producing area, the benchmark output of each region and the degree of protection in the first five years of the Agriculture and Food Administration. The output and price in the past 15 years are different, so the insurance premium will be different in different regions. The Council of Agriculture provides half of the premium subsidy, the higher the amount of protection, the higher the premium subsidy. However, considering the government's financial situation, the maximum amount of subsidy per hectare is 30,000 yuan, and farmers can choose insurance policies. There is no upper limit on the insured area, depending on the farming situation of farmers.

For example, if a banana farmer in Qishan chooses to take out an insurance quota of 700000 yuan per hectare, half of the premium will be paid by the government and the out-of-pocket payment will be 20307 yuan. Assuming a bumper harvest in Qishan area, the average harvest per hectare is 25740 kg, the land price is 22.3 yuan per kilogram, and the multiplicative income is 570000 4002 yuan. If the difference is less than 700000 yuan, farmers can apply for compensation, that is, 125,998 yuan per hectare. (700000 yuan-570000 4002 yuan = 120000 5998 yuan)

This insurance is policy insurance, which is conducted on a trial basis by local peasant associations. Farmers are required to register the planting variety, time, number of plants, area and mode of production (habitual, friendly, organic). The application period is from October this year to March 109, and the insurance time covers January to December 109, and the settlement time is February 110. The amount of claim is the amount of income guarantee deducting the regional income of the current year, with a maximum amount of 400000, and the production area is measured in hectares.

(second from left) Chen Jizhong, chairman of the Council of Agriculture

Organic farmers: the insurance plan is good, but it may be difficult for organic farmers to apply.

In response to this, organic banana farmers in Pingtung Ligang said that they believe that the government has a good intention to handle banana insurance income. If the farmers' association comes to ask for an appointment, it will have the opportunity to apply for and take out insurance, but the probability of disqualification is very high. Because the current application conditions sound like habitual practices, the planting methods and intensity adopted by organic and friendly farmers are different, and the eligibility threshold for the first pass alone may be very difficult. In addition, one's own farm supplies bananas all year round, which is different from the usual harvest period of two or three months of the year. Sometimes when the harvest is over this month, the plant will be replanted immediately next month, and the plant criteria may not be met.

Junteng Farm in Zhongliao Township, Nantou County, believes that it is very good to feel that the government is willing to release goodwill to bananas, and that progress can only be made if it is willing to do so, but at present, if the conditions in high-screen mass-producing areas are to be applied to the whole country, they should be revised again, because the conditions are different in different places. As far as Nantou is concerned, there is less flat land, and almost all bananas are planted in the mountains, and harvesting is more laborious than flat land. the cost of harvesting per 100kg is 1500 yuan, but the harvest cost per 100kg in Gaoping area is about 1200 yuan. The output of bananas in Nantou is about 30% less than that in Gaoping area, and the same insurance conditions have to be adjusted according to local conditions.