A closing ceremony for Indonesian trainees of the Young Farmer Internship Program in Taiwan was held April 15 in Taipei City, spotlighting interministerial promotion of agricultural personnel development and exchanges between the two partner countries.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 57 youths from the New Southbound Policy partner country took part in the program this time. Since the initiative’s launch in 2009, with a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 582 young farmers from Indonesia and the Philippines have received training in Taiwan.
This project aims to empower individuals as agricultural leaders and entrepreneurs through professional training at Taiwan’s agricultural facilities to learn about the latest techniques, technologies and strategies in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and related sectors.
The MOA said after the intensive yearlong training, participants obtained key skills and knowledge of agricultural management, essential for future career development. Among this year’s trainees, 23 have been employed by Taiwan businesses operating in Indonesia, three will remain in Taiwan to work, while others have teamed up to become suppliers for the Indonesian fast food sector. MOA statistics shows that about 80 percent of trainees opted to continue to work in agriculture-related sectors after returning home.
Launched in 2016 as a key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the NSP seeks to deepen the country’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (SFC-E)
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