Begun in 1949, the ROC's land reform program achieved with impressive success its goals of distributing the ownership of agricultural land to farmers and increasing production. But while the program ensured a more just distribution of land, by the late 1950s it had become clear that land reform had fallen short of guaranteeing efficient utilization of farmland and the development of rural areas.
In effect, a more widespread ownership of land resulted in small-scale farming, which hindered agricultural development. Farmlands were irregularly shaped and fragmented, with a farmer's land often divided among several scattered plots. Production was also limited by other problems, such as rather primitive irrigation facilities, little mechanized tilling, and inadequate roads and paths, which made transportation of crops difficult. Insufficient or inefficient irrigation often led to water disputes.
Government land administration was not made any easier by the traditional inheritance system of dividing up the land equally among the children, resulting in ownership of parcels of land too small for efficient farming. A 1952 survey of several districts and townships provided clear evidence of a widely known fact: Taiwan was filled with farms that were so tiny they were not productive. In the areas surveyed, farmer-owned farms averaged 2.7 acres divided into fourteen plots, and tenant farmers worked on an average of 2.5 acres divided into nine plots.
To cope with these problems, the government decided to implement land replotting and consolidation as part of the land reform program in order to increase land usage and to lay a solid foundation for the modernization of agriculture. The projects would improve the economy of the rural areas, and this in turn would lead to the overall development of society. The disjointed, irregularly shaped farmlands would be integrated and then the total land area would be broken up into standardized rectanglular pieces. This would reduce the maze of ridges dividing small plots and at the same time increase the area for cultivation. Moreover, the construction of roads and the reconstruction of hydraulic facilities would improve cultivation, encourage mechanized farming, reduce labor costs, and increase production.
In each area to be replotted, the farmers cover one-third of the costs, and the government takes up the rest. Each farmer's share is in proportion to the size of his land. The per-acre cost of replotting and leveling the land, for which the farmer is personally responsible, is estimated to average US$3,700. The payment may be made in land or in cash, which can be borrowed at low-interest rates from government-owned banks specializing in agricultural loans. The land administration departments of local governments draw up the replotting plans, and submit them to the next higher level of government for review. If approved, the plan is presented to the farmers. But if more than one-third of them do not agree, the plan is revised. The farmers themselves may initiate the process by petitioning the local government.
Alone again - a dwindling rural population and high labor costs has made farming an uncertain and difficult livelihood.
An experiment in replotting began in 1958 in the southern counties of Tainan and Pingtung. The Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (the forerunner of the Council of Agriculture under the Executive Yuan), drafted the plan after negotiating with the landowners and farmers. It then provided technological and financial assistance to the local governments for the replotting of a total area of 1,300 acres.
Encouraged by the success of this experiment, the commission in 1960 initiated two more replotting programs. Covering a total of 2,000 acres, the replotting concentrated on a central portion of the land that had been devastated by a flood in August 1959. Initial project were small in scale, and an overall program was not implemented until 1961, when the Taiwan Provincial Government selected for replotting several counties along the west coas, including Hsinchu, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, and the eastern counties of Ilan and Hualian. The total land area amounted to 8,300 acres.
A ten-year plan running from 1962 to 1971 initially set a total of 740,000 acres for replotting. But due to a lack of legal and organizational support and inadequate promotion, farmers were generally resistant to the plan. By the end of 1971, 642,000 acres had been replotted, or 87 percent of the program's goal. In the following years, replotting had been completed on another 12,300 acres.
It was not until 1981, after the passing of the Farmland Replotttng Act in late 1980, that another program was attempted. The five-year project planned for 272,000 acres to be replotted by the end of 1985. But in the ten-year inter val between the two projects, the agri cultural situatlon had changed. There was now excess production of rice, rendering some aspects of replotting obsolete bccause they were geared toward increasing rice production. Also, insufficient human and financial resorces slowed the replotting process to only about 25,000 acres of land annually. A less ambitious five-year farmland replotting project (1986-1991) now nearing completion is faring better. The goal was to replot 81,540 acres by 1991. The first year covered 20,000 acres, and each of the following years 12,000 acres.
While replotting concentrated on improving the efficiency of farmland, and increasing productivity, little was done to enhance the living environment of farmers by improving the rural infrastructure. A step to improve this situation was taken in 1987. when the dislapidated rural villages in Yunlin and Taichung counties were surveyed to determine land ownership and to study the possibility of redesigning the small communities. The goal was to build more public facilities, such as roads and schools, and to improve utilities such as telephone and power lines. In community replotting, the farmers provide land on which the government will build the facilities. In 1988, Hsinchu city and the counties of Tainan and Taitung were selected for community replotting and consolidation. But so far, none of the developments has been completed. Progress has been extremely slow for lack of laws to support such programs.
It has been thirty-three years since the first replotting and consolidation of agricultural land took place. As expected, the projects increased the usage of farmland, and encouraged agricultural development. For one, replotting resulted in a more rational farm structure. Small parcels of land were organized into larger, orderly farms averaging twelve acres in size, and the construction of better roads made farming conducive to mechanization as well as reduced transportation and delivery costs. The improved irrigation system essentially eliminated water supply problems and increased the number of crops planted each year. Yields per land unit also increased from 20 to 40 percent over productivity before replotting.
A more efficient water supply and clear land boundaries solved many of the disputes among farmers, and improved community relationships. And because the cultivation of replotted lands was more manageable, excess labor power was directed to other businesses for additional income. Replotting increased land value, enabling farmers to gain greater borrowing capacity. Moreover, the open green fields and the orderly arrangement of the plots were very pleasing to the eye. For city dwellers, the convenience of transportation made the farmlands a good place to relax, and they were also able to contribute to the rural economy.
Despite its many benefits, the replotting method has serious shortcomings as a result of changes in Taiwan's economic structure and mass migrations from rural to urban areas. These problems have had debilitating effects on agricultural development. Farming has become increasingly difficult because of a dwindling rural population and a high increase in labor costs. Often, the farmers are strapped for money, and are daunted by the US$3,700 cost of replotting and leveling the land. The figure represents a serious financial setback since the average yearly income per acre is US$1,500, and will continue to fall.
The quality of construction has also deteriorated, while costs have climbed. Despite the difference in water needs and topography, the cost of replotting per acre is uniform. The slow administrative process, labor shortages, and the decreasing number of construction companies interested in rural projects have all contributed to low morale among farmers. Lack of communication between the planners and the farmers is further aggravating the situation. Because of staff shortages and poor funding, often the land administration departments impose the plans on the farmers and do not develop an understanding of their needs and requirements.
The replotting personnel are not all to blame. As it is, there is not enough staff to handle the work involved in replotting and consolidation. The limited staff cover a wide range of tasks, from selection of land, administrative work to determine ownership, distribution, and compensation, to planning and coordination. Success in carrying out the projects require substantial material resources and manpower, both clerical and technical staff such as hydraulic engineers, agricultural specialists, and surveyors.
Only one section of the Department of Land Administration at the Taiwan Provincial Government oversees farmland replotting and consolidation for the whole island, and the number of personnel is small. Yet, their responsibilities include supervising replotting projects in sixteen counties, as well as the administrative paperwork handed to them by their superiors. In county governments, the land sections have an average of seven personnel in charge of both urban and rural replotting, and the number is inadequate to accomplish the task. As a result, temporary staff members are often recruited. Thus, if the present needs of the farming communities are already beyond the capabilities of the land administration departments, what about their future needs?
Lastly, efforts at community replotting have been generally insignificant. While community enhancement is essential to rural development, the replotting has always been carried out according to an executive order. Thus, there was no law to support the enforcement of the landowners' rights of obligations. Especlally in rural areas, land ownership has deep significance since it is the basis of livelihood, identity, and status. Community replotting threatened to cause many disputes, so the residents had to agree on the plan before it could be implemented. Progress was naturally slow.
By 1989, one-third of Taiwan's total farmland area, or close to 900,000 acres had been replotted. But the scope of the projects reached only as far as the lands used directly for agricultural production, especially paddy fields. The general rural environment, including public sector infrastructure, did not improve much. The process has to be adjusted so that replotting will facilitate rather than hinder rural development.
First, more funds should be pumped into the replotting programs. Lack of funds and careless planning have often resulted in lower construction standards, thus reducing the beneficial effects of replotting. For example, there is a need to build wider paths, strengthen road maintenance, and improve the quality of interior waterways. The size of construction projects and their costs must also be adjusted to suit each community. And while more funds must be raised for the projects, the farmer's share of the replotting costs should be lessened because of decreasing agricultural incomes. Farmers in Germany, for example, are responsible for only 20 percent, compared to the 33 percent for Taiwan farmers. Replotting does present numerous advantages in the long run. Bur if ir is a financial burden on farmers, its benefits will be something they will do without.
Second, effective communication between the govemment and the farmers is essential to the success of replotting, since it affects the rights and interests of farmers. Earlier land reform programs had to a great extent resulted in an even stronger attachment to the land. It is imperative to the success of current programs that the farmers are presented with well thought-out comprehensive plans. Public hearings can be used to explain the process as well as the benefits of replotting. Farmers should also be given substantial opponunity to express their opinions and objections. This will limit disputes and smoothen the whole replotting process.
Third, laws supporting and ensuring the viability of replotting need to be revised and increased. Moreover, there should be enough flexibility in the laws to allow for adjustments to different local conditions. Most important, they must apply to overall rural growth, covering both the development of the farmland itself as well as rural communities.
Fourth, the size and qualily of personnel for the specific task of rural replotting and consolidation detemlines the success of the projects. Staff shortage has continued to be one of the major reasons for failure to meet the objectives of replotting. There is obviously a need to expand training as well as full-time personnel. The number of contracted part-time personnel should be reduced to guarantee job security and promote career development for full-time staff. The result would be more efficient and longer-term planning.
Yen Ai-ching (顏愛靜) is an associate professor in the Department of Land Economics at National Chengchi University. She is currently doing research in rural development for the Council of Sgriculture under the Executive Yuan.