Taipei: Taiwan’s Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) on Monday announced significant reforms to its afforestation program, reducing subsidy periods from 20 years to six years and introducing new bonus categories.

According to Focus Taiwan, the changes also establish clear goals for both commercial and non-commercial forests, aiming to promote a “comprehensive upgrade” in forest management.

At a press conference in Taipei, FANCA launched “Afforestation Subsidies 2.0,” announcing that these revised measures will take immediate effect. Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih emphasized the strategic importance of forests, stating that commercial forests can be co-managed with forestry management cooperatives. For non-commercial forests, the agency plans to promote payments for ecosystem services to underscore the value of forest conservation.

FANCA Director-General Lin Hua-ching noted that the incentive program, first implemented in 2008, had undergone a comprehensive revision. Lin detailed that the new regulations represent a major reform, adjusting goals, tree species selection, incentive periods, bonuses, and the location of afforestation areas. He extended invitations to forest farmers, public and private associations, and unincorporated associations to join afforestation and forest management efforts.

Lin highlighted that more than 5,700 hectares of hillside terrain have already been afforested, contributing to national land conservation and greening. He criticized the previous system’s 20-year period as excessively long and its bonuses as unclear. Under the revised program, subsidy recipients can receive NT$500,000 in the sixth year if requirements are met, with an additional NT$50,000 per hectare as either a reforestation subsidy or a structural lumber subsidy. The maximum subsidy per hectare over six years is NT$600,000.

The reforms also aim to diversify the value of forests, providing incentives for lumber production, environmental and ecological functions, under-forest economy development, and forest therapy. Independent lawmaker Kao Chin Su-mei and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers Wu Li-hua, Chen Ying, and Chuang Jui-hsiung attended the press conference and expressed support for the reforms. Chuang encouraged the Ministry of Agriculture to expand the range of forest-based commercial activities beyond current options like beekeeping and log-grown shiitake mushrooms, suggesting that Chinese medicinal ingredients could also be considered.