Taiwan's agricultural development: its relevance for developing countries today/

Bibliography: p. 91-[93]

Research findings indicate that agricultural output has increased at 4.5 per cent. per year since the early 1950s, a rate of growth that has helped achieve an annual national income growth rate of 7.6 per cent. and a per caput income growth rate of 4.2 per cent. Much of the impetus towards greater productivity stems from the introduction of superior crop varieties, improved irrigation, increased multiple cropping, greater control of pests and diseases, increased fertilizer use, and a marked switch to high-value, labour-intensive crops. Three developments were of major significance: (1) land reform, including reduced rentals and from 1949 sales of government-owned land; (2) reorganization (in 1953) of farmers' associations and co-operatives to foster direct farmer control; and (3) agricultural development planning, launched in 1953 with the first of successive four-year plans which led to effective use of scarce land, water, fertilizers and other inputs. Taiwan's agricultural development strategy was a multiphase approach that gave attention to such factors as education, research, extension, credit, price incentives, marketing and storage facilities, and infrastructure for irrigation, drainage and roads. Its success indicates that small owner-operated farms can be highly productive if supporting services are provided. Farms decreased in size from an average of a little over two ha. in the early 1950s to about one ha. in 1966, but output and sales per farm increased.

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