Farming Experience and Special Gift Pack Development
YA-LAN,CHIU（China Productivity Center Agricultural Innovation Department）
To promote the upgrading of agricultural production and expand the value chain, the Council of Agriculture (COA) has encouraged leisure farming operators to develop innovative farming experience activities and high-quality gift packs by incorporating elements of local agriculture, rural landscape, and farming culture, as a way to boost rural business opportunities. Through various supportive projects and workshops and with the assistance of consultants, selection was conducted in the year 2020 from among leisure farms, farm housewives clubs (田媽媽), and farms with certification of agricultural tourism for 100 products each in the two categories of "Innovative Farming Experience Products" and "Innovative Farmland Gift Packs," to receive consultation and support in terms of the commercialization of innovative farming experience and gift pack designs, as well as strategies for subsequent product pricing and marketing. Operators that meet the acceptance requirements receive allowances of up to NT$150,000 from COA as well as other marketing resources such as channel matching. Successful operators also enjoy the priority to participate in the COA-sponsored publicity events and channel matching opportunities. This project has received enthusiastic response from farming operators since its announcement.
Applicants to participate in the project must meet at least one of the following requirements, with special preference given to those who meet one of the first two requirements:
1. A leisure farm that has obtained a business certificate and is in operation,
2. A member of farm housewives clubs (田媽媽) registered with COA, and
3. A farm with certification of agricultural tourism.
What do the participating operators get from this project? First of all, there are workshops on innovative farming experience design and gift packs development, in which invited professional experts will provide innovative knowledge and practical cases to the participating operators, and all the participating operators can review their own resources and interact with the peers to form a sense of friendship and alliance. Secondly, all the participating operators receive professional consultation from the experience of true experts in the whole process, on the itinerary planning, venue layout, publicity, branding, product packaging, etc. Last but not least, the operators with outstanding performance will receive extra subsidy from COA to appear on special websites or other publicity events and even receive additional substantial awards.
The above-mentioned benefits indicate the great importance that COA attaches to this project:
In collaboration with the Taiwan Certified Agricultural Standards Association (財團法人台灣優良農產品發展協會), CPC organized several project achievement fairs in major cities in Taiwan last year, which are well received by the operators. COA is planning on more promotion projects this year. Hopefully more leisure industries and farming groups will participate. On the other hand, COA will definitely continue to provide professional consultation and financial subsidies for the operators to enhance the itinerary planning, customer satisfaction, service quality, brand management, and product packaging design optimization. This will promote industrial upgrading and the sales of agricultural specialty products. We all look forward to the participation of operators who are interested in the innovative development of agricultural experience products and gift packs to join the effort to add value of Taiwan's agriculture.