Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) All Taiwanese agricultural products will be traceable by 2015, the Council of Agriculture (COA) announced Tuesday at the launch of the first nationwide agricultural traceability system.
Certified traceability agricultural products will carry certification insignia for quick identification to guarantee the origin of products, COA Minister Su Chia-chuan said, adding that 2008 will be "Safe Agriculture Year."
More than 172 farmers have been granted Traceability Agriculture Product (TAP) certification from the Cabinet-level COA, which has entrusted 17 certifying institutes around the nation as independent certifying systems.
Food safety has been one of the hottest issues in the past year in Taiwan, as many food safety cases regarding domestic and imported products have been reported.
"The day of pushing for mass production is over. Modern-day farmers and consumers will and should pay attention to safety, quality and quantity -- in that order -- of agricultural products, " Su said.
The certification system consists of three criteria -- TAP, Organic Traceability Agricultural Product and Quality Traceability Agricultural Product -- and will integrate all certifying criteria used in the market by 2010, he said.
Consumers can visit the Taiwan Agricultural Food Traceability System at taft.coa.gov.tw to inquire about related information and in the future will also be able to access the information in supermarkets and on their mobile phones, Su said.