Taiwan Today

Smart systems are combating climate change to enhance agricultural productivity.

The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has made smart agriculture a cornerstone of development since 2017 with a forward-looking policy framework centered on efficient production and digital services. The ministry leverages big data to address demographic challenges faced by small- and medium-sized farms. The resulting proactive, integrated agricultural platforms benefit all stakeholders and strengthen consumer confidence in food safety.

Lee Hung-hsi (李紅曦), director of the MOA’s Department of Agricultural Science and Technology, said that the strategic framework emphasizes smart, resilient, sustainable and trustworthy action in conjunction with digital services and artificial intelligence (AI) applications to reduce operational risk and ensure stable production and marketing systems. “Our department coordinates policy planning, technology development and demonstration programs. We also work closely with the Department of Information Technology, Department of Government Ethics and industry authorities such as the Department of Animal Industry, Agriculture and Food Agency, and Fisheries Agency to align with national policies,” Lee said.

The department advances efficiency through four initiatives: smart agriculture, cloud-based digital transformation, chip development and the Internet of Things (IoT). These inform research and innovation, infrastructure, training and growth. Local partnerships and subsidies from the central government resulted in 194 technology transfers, 88 registered service providers in the smart agriculture tech system, eight startups and 480 smart agriculture sites across 4,000 locations. Research outcomes have been integrated into 13 technologies for floriculture, rice, vegetables, aquaculture and the raising of poultry, all accessible via a portal for consultation and matchmaking. The MOA also supports over 20 expert system platforms for data applications, publicly available on the website to foster government transparency and enable service providers and research institutions to leverage data for commercial use or collaborative development. As an example, the MOA launched a project last year to collect agricultural pest and disease images to improve diagnostic accuracy of AI analysis systems.

Smart Thinking
Chiayi County’s smart agriculture policy was launched in 2018 with funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and is now fully financed by the county government. With training, subsidies and equipment leasing programs, it ensures that technology reaches sites rather than staying in laboratories, rendering precision agriculture both practical and attainable. Papaya and pineapple plantations demonstrate how data platforms optimize irrigation, nutrient balance and pest control strategies, automating management for higher yields. In Shuishang Township, papaya grower Chen Wen-hui (陳文輝) connected his 12-hectare operation to digital monitoring and precision management systems. The fully integrated system featuring micro-mist cooling, smart fertigation drips and a field microclimate network resulted in labor requirements dropping by 40 percent, nearly 30 percent decrease in energy use and yields rising by around 20 percent. This gained the operation a Traceable Agricultural Product (TAP) certification, and by 2023 it achieved the Taiwan Good Agricultural Product PLUS standard, which covers four key areas: good agricultural practices, food safety, labor safety and environmental sustainability, as well as integrated crop and pest management. The success was recognized by the MOA and subsequently Japan, where this precision-farming model has been replicated in Chiba prefecture and on Ishigaki Island using Taiwan-made equipment and systems.

In Minxiong Township, third-generation pineapple grower Chen Ying-yen (陳映延) uses AI-assisted fertilization models and real-time monitoring to produce fruit that has a longer shelf life and better flavor. On site, Taiwan’s first ride-on dual-row cultivator and fertilizer applicator is linked to digital controls for weeding, fertilization and soil management. Chen leverages the sixth sector industrialization model of primary agriculture, secondary processing and tertiary marketing and retail through his A-Mei Pineapple brand and the Wang Lai Shan Pineapple Cultural Park. Digital displays, tracing systems and AI analytics bring visitors to the fields and raise domestic and export sales. To combat the effects of climate change that include fruit cracking and other heat stress effects, he uses AI prediction models to analyze weather, soil and crop data. “Technology lets us respond faster and plan further ahead,” he said.

Optimum Choices
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) advances smart agriculture from research to real-world application, and its Smart Agriculture Center (SAC), established in 2018 as Taiwan’s first academic smart agriculture research hub, helps raise productivity, reduce labor dependence, lower barriers for new farmers and strengthen consumer trust through transparency. 

Tsai Shang-han (蔡尚瀚), professor in the university’s Department of Scientific Agriculture and leader of the SAC, said, “Farmers prioritize efficiency and stability, so the center has developed projects that optimize irrigation, nutrient management and pest control through combining IoT sensors, AI analysis and automation. The tools are designed to be accessible, easily maintainable and adaptable for use in diverse conditions.” NPUST exports expertise, supporting farms in both Malaysia and Nicaragua. Taiwan contributes technical knowledge and local partners handle hardware adaptation to reduce cost and ensure sustainability.

Challenges in implementing smart agriculture at scale remain due to factors such as predominantly small farming ventures and an aging rural population. Individual farmers may be unable to afford systems and equipment and can struggle without sufficient technical support. The MOA offers comprehensive support measures, including the Smart Agriculture Technology Service Organization Registration system. Established in 2021, it now has 88 registered providers delivering over 2,000 services valued at NT$550 million (US$17.65 million). To address labor training, the MOA Farmers’ Academy offers courses at research stations, and the online Agricultural Digital Learning Platform provides over 70 flexible learning courses. Since 2023 the AIoT Agriculture Pioneer Program has trained public officials, agricultural enterprises and associations in programming, data analysis, machine vision and IoT applications.

Smart agriculture symposia bring county and special municipality governments together to discuss technology applications, subsidy integration, personnel training, technology transfer and cross-sector alliances. The cities of Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung, along with Changhua, Yunlin, and Chiayi counties, now offer smart agriculture subsidies for sustainable facilities, machinery, greenhouses and irrigation systems, alongside agricultural loans. Farmers’ associations in Hsinchu County, Taichung, Chiayi and Kaohsiung implemented custom digital tools last year to facilitate satellite crop monitoring, online ordering systems, real-time inventory integration and group purchasing.

Pioneering Standards
As smart technologies proliferate, so does the need for interoperability, especially because there are currently no international smart agriculture data standards. The MOA has taken the lead in creating domestic standards that could serve as a model for the region. In partnership with the Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards, the MOA announced the first version of formatting standards and testing specifications for smart agriculture sensing data in 2023. These standards have since been applied in electronic tracking systems for pig farms and crop farms. Wider adoption will reduce development costs, streamline cross-system data integration, and improve collection, analysis and applications. The Department of Science and Technology supports data format standardization operations covering 18 information platforms across the livestock, poultry and grain sectors. Using standardized tool forms, the MOA completed inventories of 59 device categories and 42 environmental application data items, units and interfaces to facilitate the development of conversion programs by technology service providers.

Standardization provides a foundation for broader international engagement as the MOA collaborates in bi- and multilateral technical missions, international organizations and technology exchanges. Through the International Cooperation and Development Fund, the MOA leads policy planning and technology research, while the fund provides technical assistance and training for field projects, exporting smart agriculture experience around the world. An intelligent irrigation system, privately developed from Taoyuan District Agricultural Improvement Station technology, supports the cultivation of vegetables, melons, dragon fruit, passion fruit, summer squash, papaya, flowers and succulents in Taiwan and abroad. In Thailand, the Royal Project Foundation is adopting aspects of Taiwan’s smart farming systems with online video support, and in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Orange Hill Biotechnology Center is equipped with intelligent environment control for irrigation, nutrient solutions and cooling.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the MOA established the New Smart Agriculture Advisory Team in March 2025, integrating government bodies, research institutions and the agricultural industry to promote the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. As Taiwan’s agricultural diplomacy matures, its friends and allies learn and flourish. 

Write to Krakias Kai at kwhuang@mofa.gov.tw