TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Over 500 young farmers from Indonesia and the Philippines have received training in Taiwan through an agricultural internship program launched by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2019.

The Foreign Young Farmer Internship Program provides training and promotes international agricultural ties with Indonesia and the Philippines, per CNA. Since its inception, 582 interns from the two countries have completed training in farming, livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.

The interns receive hands-on instruction in specialized skills while experiencing Taiwan’s agricultural development model. They also help meet the labor needs of local farms. 

The ministry’s Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station said five Indonesian interns are currently working at two farms in Taitung. They are learning fruit and vegetable cultivation, organic farming, pest management, and post-harvest processing.

Lin Pei-ying (林沛縈), owner of Good Time Fruit Farm, praised their ability to learn quickly and carry out tasks independently. Chen Hsiao-wei (陳孝偉), who runs another farm, said encouraging interns to learn Mandarin has significantly boosted their efficiency.

The station said the program prepares interns to apply what they have learned at home while serving as bridges for agricultural cooperation. This strengthens Taiwan’s global engagement and opens new opportunities for bilateral collaboration.

The ministry said most interns complete a year of training and can independently manage farm operations by the end. Their work in vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, flowers, aquaculture, and livestock has strengthened their practical skills while demonstrating the mutually beneficial results of exchanges.