
Starting next year, tariffs on New Zealand liquid milk imports will be reduced to zero, following the 2013 Taiwan-New Zealand Economic Cooperation Agreement (ANZTEC). To address potential impacts on Taiwan's dairy industry, measures have been put in place by the Agriculture Ministry as it strives to amplify its efforts.
In recent years, the ministry has earmarked funds to assist dairy farmers in upgrading facilities to improve production efficiency and reduce costs. Over the past decade, domestic raw milk production has risen significantly from 363,000 metric tons in 2014 to 472,000 metric tons in 2023, showing remarkable growth in capacity and value.
To further support the industry, the ministry has initiated discussions with dairy farmers across Taiwan. On Monday, over 60 farmers and industry representatives from Tainan’s Liouying district participated in such a forum. Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said that the ministry will help small dairy brands gain market access, as well as enhance production facilities and leverage the lower carbon footprint of domestic milk.
Additional forums are planned in Pingtung, Changhua, and Hualien in the coming week to gather industry input and bolster Taiwan’s dairy sector competitiveness.