讀後心得

The Director-General of the International Affairs Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hsiao Chang-Chung, is working hard to obtain multiple international quarantine certifications. Taiwan will receive certification from the World Organisation for Animal Health in May as a "non-infected country for swine fever," becoming the only country in Asia that is recognized as non-infected for the three major diseases: swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and African swine fever. In response to the adjustment of tariffs by the United States, the Ministry of Agriculture will invest NT$18 billion to support the stability of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products in the U.S. market. Hsiao Chang-Chung emphasized the need to strengthen e-commerce sales of agricultural products and cultivate the taste habits of international consumers to enhance the international status of Taiwanese agricultural products. Her public service career began at the Taiwan Provincial Agricultural Experiment Station, and she joined the Council of Agriculture’s International Affairs Department in 1998. Hsiao Chang-Chung pointed out that the trade barriers for agricultural products entering international markets are much higher than those for technology products, and it is essential to continuously improve product quality and achieve diversification.

The Director-General of the International Affairs Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hsiao Chiu-Chung, has successfully obtained multiple international quarantine certifications after long-term efforts. Taiwanese agricultural products will welcome a significant "most international" news this May, as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) officially certifies Taiwan as a "country free of swine fever," and issues the corresponding certificate, making it the only country in Asia to simultaneously be recognized as free from the three major swine diseases: swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and African swine fever. In response to adjustments in U.S. tariffs, the Ministry of Agriculture will invest NT$18 billion to ensure the stable entry of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products into the U.S. market, from production, transportation, to distribution.

Hsiao Chiu-Chung, who has over 20 years of experience in international agricultural affairs, stated that through continuous efforts, she has achieved various international quarantine certifications. Currently, through effective management of varieties, quality, and production periods domestically, there is a need to strengthen the e-commerce of agricultural products in the future and cultivate the "taste habits" of the new generation of international consumers to create long-term value for Taiwanese agricultural products and enhance their international status.

After obtaining her master’s degree from the Department of Horticulture at National Taiwan University, Hsiao Chiu-Chung entered the Agricultural Research Institute of the Taiwan Provincial Government as an assistant researcher, beginning her career as a public servant. Later, she transferred to the Planning Department of the Council of Agriculture, participating in international agricultural affairs. In 1998, she was reassigned to the International Affairs Office of the Council of Agriculture and was promoted to Deputy Director of the International Affairs Office in 2016, subsequently transferring to the Director of the Information Center of the Council of Agriculture. At that time, it was a crucial period for Taiwan's WTO accession negotiations. To assist various ministries in mastering international law, she also pursued further studies in the Master of Laws program at Soochow University. In 2024, she returned to the Ministry of Agriculture as Director-General of the International Affairs Department, continuing her commitment to international negotiations for Taiwanese agriculture.

She pointed out that this year's WOAH achievements are one of her efforts, and international agricultural affairs serve as a driving engine for the vision of "sustainable resilience," making greater contributions to global agricultural development and food security, while promoting the development of Taiwanese agricultural enterprises in the international market. The trade barriers that agricultural products face in entering the international market are, in fact, much higher than those for technological products. Hsiao Chiu-Chung provided examples, such as pineapple, dragon fruit, and cherimoya exports, which currently perform best in the Japanese market and have accessed the "full channel" in Japan, including contracts with large groups, chain supermarkets, and packaged products in convenience stores, as well as nutritious lunches for elementary school students. However, due to high trade barriers, the Korean market has yet to succeed in entering. In the future, if there is a desire to further open the international market, agricultural products must continue to insist on quality, safety, and pest-free standards, and also achieve price differentiation by offering diversified products as much as possible.