Pingtung Promotes Grass Owl Ecological Payment, 3 Briefing Sessions from June 10

(Central News Agency, Pingtung County, 9th) Pingtung County is promoting an ecological service payment for grass owls, encouraging eco-friendly farming through an incentive mechanism. The county government will hold briefing sessions on June 10, 11, and 16, respectively, with eligible farmers able to apply for a maximum reward of NT$33,000 per hectare.

Lee Yung-wen, Director of the Pingtung County Government's Department of Agriculture, stated that as of the end of 2025, the eco-friendly area of farmland under ecological payment reached 95.75 hectares, and 20 sets of automated camera traps on perches have recorded grass owl activity in the fields, showing that the promotion of the grass owl ecological service payment is gradually yielding results.

Lee said that farmers can apply as long as they do not use rodenticides or poison baits and cooperate with eco-friendly field management. The department's commissioned team also provides free installation of raptor perches in fields and pesticide testing and other advisory measures. Additionally, last year, community patrols were included in the subsidy scope for the first time, encouraging local patrols of known or potential habitats, reporting and assisting in the removal of illegal hunting tools (nets), etc., to jointly protect the grass owl.

According to a press release from the Pingtung County Government's Department of Agriculture today, the county government has been continuously promoting the grass owl ecological service payment policy since 2022, and applications officially opened on May 15 this year. Eligible farmers can apply for a maximum reward of NT$33,000 per hectare, and groups can apply as community patrol teams or development associations, receiving a maximum monthly reward of NT$5,000.

The Department of Agriculture pointed out that this year's grass owl ecological service payment continues to accept applications in five key grass owl areas: Pingtung City, Gaoshu Township, Ligang Township, Yanpu Township, and Jiuru Township, and has added two new townships, Changzhi Township and Wandan Township, to the promotion scope, expanding the grass owl-friendly habitat network along the Gaoping River.

The department's commissioned vendor will hold briefing sessions on June 10, 11, and 16 at the Pingtung County Agricultural Products Museum, the Sankuai Community Development Association in Jiuru Township, and the Wannian River Conservation Association, respectively. The sessions will explain the project application mechanism and assist eligible individuals in completing their applications. Information is available on the Pingtung County Government Department of Agriculture website or by calling the department's commissioned vendor, Xin Chang Ecological Research Co., Ltd. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150609