Little did Yu Hsi-kuang expect that his son would today be the chairman of the Council on Agriculture of the Executive Yuan.
As the oldest son in a farming family, Yu Yu-hsien took the lead in sharing family farm work: planting, cutting, plowing. . . . This has left Yu with a deep understanding of the hardships of farm life. His younger brother, Yu Yuh-chao, the editor-in-chief of Sinorama, recalls that while still in high school, his brother, during a break in farm work, said that he really wished he could find a way to improve the lives of those on the farms. "Looking back over thirty years, he seems to have never altered that ambition set on that day," says the younger Yu.
His resume is proof: He graduated from the provincial Taichung College of Agriculture, and the Graduate School of Agricultural Economics at National Chung Hsing University, got his Ph.D. in the same field at Purdue University, served as professor of agricultural economics at Chung Hsing, as a senior specialist of the Joint Committee on Rural Reconstruction, and as president of National Chia-yi Institute of Agriculture.
In 1981 he became commissioner of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Forestry, serving six years and seven months under then Governor Lee Teng-hui and present Governor Chiu Chuang-huan. He was a moving force behind such programs as the nuclear farm family, satellite farms, agricultural construction, and specialized agricultural zones.
After the post-Thirteenth Party Congress cabinet reshuffle, some observers were surprised at several appointments, but praised Yu's choice as "putting talent where it belongs." And not only because of his background, but also because of his courage and responsibility, and the support he enjoys among farmers.
After the May 20 incident, where protesting farmers battled police for a day, Yu personally went to the countryside to assuage feelings and hear out the farmers' complaints. During a demonstration in June at the provincial government (demanding early implementation of farmers' insurance) in which police were injured, farmers demanded to speak with Yu. Though his aides feared for his safety, he said, "These are my people. What have I got to be afraid of?" He not only calmed the farmers, but left them amidst loud applause. His talents at communication extend to the government.
Some suggest Yu is too rooted in the agricultural view. He has been very much concerned about the agricultural side of trade liberalization: "Some say, our production costs are very high, we can import food! But in the past when corn imports were a week late, fodder prices rose rapidly, creating panic. Can we face this risk with food for human consumption?"
Faced with the need for restructuring within agriculture and the threat of imports, Yu's new post is considered a "hot potato." But he is confident, expressing the desire to "serve as midwife" to a first-class agricultural sector on Taiwan. Here are some selections from his talk with Sinorama.
Q: In theory, subsidizing high-cost agricultural production is economically irrational; what's your view?
A: If agriculture were purely an economic problem, then a free market could perhaps raise efficiency. But some aspects don't fit theory; for example land is not a mobile factor of production. Also, agriculture is not only an economic issue, but also a political and social problem.
Q: You have suggested that agriculture and industry develop in balance. With the gap between them in terms of share of the economy so large, how can this be?
A: In fact, the scope of agriculture is quite large. For example there are five or six thousand rice-grinding factories, and 6,000 pesticide factories, plus processing industries. Agriculture is really much larger than the narrow definition we all know. Therefore I believe that we should unify agriculture and industry, what we call deepening. So-called "balanced development" means bringing together industry, fertilizer production, super-markets, and not just having agriculture alone.
Q: Since space is limited, some favor lifting restrictions on farmers selling their land. What's your view?
A: Certainly some farmers feel cheated because they cannot sell their land to build apartments or factories. But from the long-term view, agriculture is not just an industry, it is a kind of ecological balance. To liberalize land use, there must be integrated planning. It is not appropriate for individual action.
This is why I favor special agriculture zones--to preserve the agricultural environment from pollution. The government should reasonably compensate farmers who suffer losses from restrictions on land use for the long-term benefit of society. If there is to be a change in land use in a place, the government must prepare drainage, pollution control, and do an impact assessment, so there are no regrets.
Q: What are the main areas that need strengthening in future development?
A: In the past we stressed technology. Now we must stress people, and put the farmers at the center of policy. In farming, production and life are intertwined, so ethical considerations are very important. Today, even the villages feel the influence of utilitarianism, so I think we should raise this humanistic view.
Q: Recently, trade liberalization has been a serious blow to agriculture. What's your viewpoint on this topic?
A: Free trade is an ideal. Some talk liberalization, but they protect more thoroughly than us. Why? To avoid unemployment in their countries. In agriculture, we have good technology and good people. If they want to stay on the farm, why not give them a chance? We have to work for the farmers' benefit through negotiations. There is certainly some balance point here that we should strive to reach.
[Picture Caption]
Although faced with a succession of challenges, Yu has lost none of his enthusiasm for agriculture.
A man raised in the land, Yu Yu-hsien's concern for the farm and the village derives from real life experience.
A Yu family portrait. (photo courtesy of Yu Yu-hsien)
A Yu family portrait. （photo courtesy of Yu Yu-hsien）
A man raised in the land, Yu Yu-hsien's concern for the farm and the village derives from real life experience.
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