County Magistrate Chang delivers lecture at NTNU on advancing agricultural competitiveness through smart innovation

(中央社訊息服務20251028 18:34:51)Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善) was invited to deliver a speech at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Executive MBA (EMBA) Alumni Association on Jan. 11. Her speech, titled “New Business Thinking Transforms Traditional Agricultural Competitiveness: Yunlin County's Innovative Smart Agriculture Leads Sustainable Development,” was enthusiastically received. She shared how Yunlin County, through smart agriculture and innovative transformation, has transformed its traditional farming into a model for sustainable agriculture.

County Magistrate Chang noted that Yunlin County’s agricultural output has ranked first in Taiwan for six consecutive years, exceeding NT$93.6 billion last year, earning it the title of “Taiwan's Granary.” However, Yunlin’s agriculture also faces challenges such as an aging workforce, labor shortages, and climate change. The county government is collaborating with industry, government, academia, and research to promote smart agriculture, encouraging young farmers to adopt technology and innovation, embrace sustainable practices, and overcome the challenges of traditional agriculture.

Chang stated that in response to climate change and demographic shifts, the county government has created a “Digital Agricultural Mobile Platform” that integrates IoT, drones, and big data technologies to improve farmland management efficiency, enhance weather warning and disaster prevention capabilities, provide agricultural decision-making assistance, and reduce the damage to agriculture caused by extreme climate change, successfully strengthening the resilience and efficiency of Yunlin’s agriculture.

In 2023, the county government collaborated with the Central Weather Administration to upgrade meteorological services. Through data and early warning systems, the local government helped farmers understand crop management, weather changes, and market price trends, realizing the vision of “Smart Agriculture in Yunlin.”

Magistrate Chang further stated that the county government launched the brand of the “Yunlin Goods” in 2019. Through five major product categories (high-quality agricultural products, safe processed products, Yunchuang Good Products, Leisure Good Products, and other categories), it successfully combines local characteristics with the spirit of innovation, incorporates smart technology and sustainable concepts, and leads local agricultural products to the international market.

She pointed out that through e-commerce platforms, brand collaborations, and international marketing strategies, Yunlin Goods has successfully expanded its brand recognition. Currently, it has over 1,000 products on the shelves, generating over NT$55 million in e-commerce revenue. Furthermore, it has expanded to 4,751 physical retail locations across Taiwan, receiving positive market acclaim and becoming a best-seller in these retail locations, achieving remarkable success.

In addition, the county government has collaborated with the Golden Horse Awards for four consecutive years, designing VIP gift boxes centered around agricultural products. From Gukeng coffee in the mountains, mullet roe from the coast, to peanut products from the plains, Yunlin has amazed the Golden Horse Awards with its unique agricultural stories, further enhancing the cultural height and brand value of Yunlin’s agriculture.

Magistrate Chang said that Yunlin Goods has continuously won many honors, including the “Taiwan Sustainability Action Award,” “City of Excellence Award” and “International Distinguished Project Award,” which demonstrates the county government’s outstanding performance in promoting agricultural digital transformation, brand development, and sustainable management.

Chang stated that talent is the cornerstone and living water of agricultural development. Yunlin County Intelligence Agriculture College opened in 2020. The curriculum covers a variety of topics such as modern agricultural technology, brand marketing, and food and agriculture education. It has trained more than 1,700 young farmers, providing new forces for Yunlin agriculture and attracting young people to return to their hometown.

Last year, Yunlin County farmers won three Shennong and one Model Farmer awards at the 34th National Shennong Awards, placing the county first nationwide. The award-winning farmers combined innovative technologies with carbon-reducing production and food and agriculture education, achieving win-win outcomes for both agriculture and the community. They generously shared their experiences and business models to boost local economic development.

Magistrate Chang emphasized that, in addition to agriculture, the county government is also using smart technology to enhance education, healthcare, emergency services, transportation, tourism, and long-term care, moving toward sustainable development. The county government team’s efforts have been recognized internationally. Last year, the county was selected for the ICF Intelligent Community for the first time, earning it recognition as one of the top seven intelligent communities, becoming the only Asian city to receive the honor.

The magistrate’s effortless and engaging speech received enthusiastic responses from the audience, with continuous applause and laughter. Weng Ju-yu (翁如玉), Chairperson of the National Taiwan Normal University Executive Master of Business Administration Alumni Association, stated that this was the alumni association's first guest speaker session and expressed gratitude to County Magistrate Chang for her captivating speech, which was highly beneficial to everyone.