Annual Report OISCA ROC Chapter (April, 2008-March, 2009)
The activities of ROC Taiwan Chapter were regularly impemented in last calendar year, in despite that the severe economic recession and upsurging unemployment rate surrounding the country. ROC Taiwan Chapter is an unique organization in Taiwan founding in June 1973, with around 20 group members and 285 personal members. The Chaper’s general affairs and activities conducted during the past year were summarized as follows.
Ⅰ. Ordinary Meetings
1. The Boards of Directors and Supervisors Joint Meeting are currently held twice a year. In 2008/2009 OISCA calendar year, the first meeting was held on July 8, 2008, and the second on February 10, 2009. Almost 90% of the 26 board members participated in each gathering.
2. The 2008 General Assembly Meeting, which held once a year, was held on July 18, 2008, at the National Taiwan University Allumni Hall in Taipei. Approximately 80 persons of OISCA member participated. Mr. Okada Fumihiro, Board member of OISCA Japan, represented OISCA Headquarter to participate in the Assembly. The honorable guests attending the meeting, included Mr. Chou, Li Deputy Executive director, East Asia Relation Commission. In this year’s assembly meeting, a special speech was made by Dr. Chen, Wen-Chung, Dean of the Chang-Kun Memorial Hospital, Keelung, entitled 「Invisible Killer-Hypertension and Heart diseases.」
3. To attend the Interational Board of Directors Meeting on October 21-24th, 2008, in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Tsai, Chiu-Ron, Secretary General, and Mr. Chen, Kuo-Shen, Board member of OISCA ROC participated in the meeting.
Ⅱ. Project Activities Implemented
1. 2008 Summer Term Agrieco Preservation Technology and Japanese Language Study Program.
A 13 OISCA members’ sons and daughters group participated in the program. The group
attended the 4-week Japanese language course at OISCA College for Global Co-operation at Hamamatsu, starting from July 23, 2008. In addition to Japanese language, they also made use of the opportunity to study and experience Japanese culture, history, geography, and familiar with the agrieco preservation system in Japan, and also the Japanese lifestyle. The group successfully completed their language course and returned to Taiwan on August 19.
2. Organic Farm Management and Recreational Farming Practice Program.
Continued from the previous year’s program, OISCA ROC this year nominated 6 rural
youths to make study tour to Japan, primarily to learn the management and operation of organic farming practices and recreational farm operations. The group led by Mr. Wu, Chien-Ho, standing board member of OISCA ROC, departing for Japan on 2 October, 2008. They visited farm families at Fukuoka, Saga, Gifu, Shizuoka and Tokyo, and the related agricultrual institutes. All of them returned home with satisfaction on October 12, 2008.
3. Grass-Root ambassador’s Abroad Farm-home Stay Program
The three Grass-Root Ambassadors, nominated by ROC’s 4-H Club Association have been
taken cared for years by OISCA ROC through authorization of OISCA Japan Headquarter to arrange farm-home stay in Japan was continued this year. The three grass-root ambassadors departed for Japan on 4, November, made homestay at Miyagi, Yamagata, Yibaragi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Tokyo, and returned home country on 21, November, 2008.
Ⅲ. International Cooperation and Study Tour
This year OISCA ROC continued to accept the study tour of South India OISCA Chapter’s study tour group to Taiwan for learning organic banana cultivation techniques and practices, under the arrangement of OISCA Japan. A six-person group visited Taiwan on August 4, and straight forwards to Taiwan Banana Research Institute located in Pinton Hsien, Southern part of Taiwan, to attend the two-day intensive study courses.
After finishing course work at Banana Research Institute, the group returned to Taipei, continued to make visits some organic farms, including barnboo shoot cultivation practices in Taipei area, accompanied by Mr. Chen, Kuo Shen. Board Member of OISCA ROC. Before their departure for India they also made a courtesy call to COA(Ministry of Agriculture) and exchanged views and ideas of agricultural affairs of both countries.
Ⅳ. Exchange Visits Activities
The severe economic recession occurred in 2008 and continued to 2009, did affect the
exchange visits activities among OISCA members domestically and globally. Only four exchange activities were done during the last year. The details are as follwas.
1. A group of six person led by Mr. Tanaka Tsutomu, a senior OISCA member of Shizuoka
prefecture, made visit to OISCA ROC on May 9, 2008, and exchange idears and farming
practices relating to fruit farms, and recreational farms management in Taipei suburban area.
2. A farmer friend Mr. Hishikawa Yukio from Gifu prefecture led a group of seven persons made an exchange visit to Taiwan on October 23, 2008. Most of them were the first visit to Taiwan, they get together with OISCA ROC member at Wu-Gu Farmers’ Assonation, exchanging ideas and express mutual visions of farming practices of both countries and the way of living. It was really a peasant gathering.
3. OISCA ROC’s farm friend Mr. Aonoma Yoich, from Miyagi prefecture, Japan, visit to OISCA ROC on October 23, 2008. He was warmly welcomed by many OISCA farm friends in Taiwan, attending dinner with the local OISCA members in Taipei.
Ⅴ. Publication
To release the OISCA ROC Chapter’s quarterly bulletins, 4 issues a year, espectively in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, about 300 copies are printed in each issue, The content of which are mostly the informative and new agri. technologies based in nature, distributing to members for the purpose of being aware of the OISCA activities being conducted or will put into practice in the near future.