The Council of Agriculture (COA) vowed on last Friday to cut Taiwan’s use of pesticides in half by 2027 through a variety of methods involving research, alternative farming methods, and new facilities.

COA chief Lin Tsung-hsien set the goal of decreasing pesticide use within 10 years at a seminar on the prospects for safe agricultural products hosted by Academia Sinica in Taipei on last Friday.

A total of 25,555 tons of domestic and imported pesticides were used in Taiwan in 2016, according to COA statistics, which Lin said was considerably higher than in other countries.

Speaking after the seminar, Lin said that by setting the goal, the COA could ask the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute to provide more specific methods to deal with pesticides when providing agricultural production guidance.

He suggested, for example, that production stations focused on biological pest control could help farmers reduce pesticide use and in the process give their crops added value and deliver peace of mind to consumers.

The guidance could also be helpful in changing farmers’ habits.

Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute Director General Chen Junne-jih said Taiwan’s use of pesticides is higher than Japan’s not only because of its hot and humid weather but also because of local farmers’ heavy reliance on pesticides.

Providing guidance could have a positive impact by getting farmers to “spray only when needed,” Chen said.

Lin said another way to reach the goal of cutting the use of pesticides in half by 2027 will be to provide alternative methods for farmers, including the use of biological enzymes.

Insect screen houses could also be used on some farms to prevent pests, Lin said, and with the addition of integrated disease surveillance the goal should be able to be reached.