Yunlin County Increases Public Grain Transport Subsidy from 0.3 to 1.2 NTD by 2027

Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan announced today that the public grain transport subsidy, which had not been adjusted for decades, will be increased from 0.3 New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) per kilogram to 1.2 NTD starting in 2027, demonstrating a determination to care for farmers and support agricultural development. The Yunlin County Government's Department of Agriculture held a press conference this morning, presided over by Chang, with attendees including Yunlin County Council Speaker Huang Kai, Yunlin Farmers' Association General Manager Chen Zhi-yang, and Yunlin County Rice Millers Association Chairman Lin Jun-gu. Chang stated that in recent years, due to fluctuations in international raw material prices, rising fuel prices, and increased labor costs, production costs such as fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, agricultural machinery, and wages have continued to climb, making the operational pressure on farmers increasingly heavy. There is a consensus between the county government and the council to increase subsidies, and the county government has begun to compile the budget with the council's support. Farmer Xie Zhi-ping said that after the subsidy increases, he can earn over 500 NTD more per 0.1 hectare per harvest, which is enough to buy about one bag of fertilizer. According to a survey by the Department of Agriculture, public grain transport subsidies in various counties and cities range from about 0.3 NTD to 0.8 NTD per kilogram. More than 12,000 people in Yunlin deliver public grain every year. It is estimated that the delivery volume in 2027 will be 74,000 metric tons, and the county government will allocate a budget of approximately 88 million NTD.