Nantou Rice Farmer's Elderly Allowance Suspended After Winning Prize, Ministry of Agriculture to Investigate Assistance
A rice farmer in Nantou had his elderly farmer's allowance suspended for one year after winning prize money that pushed his non-agricultural income over the legal limit. The incident has drawn concern from a legislator, who questions if the policy contradicts the goal of encouraging agricultural advancement. The Ministry of Agriculture states it is researching ways to help.
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- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 17:53
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Central News Agency, Nantou, April 21 (CNA) - Li Chi-yuan, a rice farmer from Caotun Township in Nantou County, who won a gold medal and a cash prize of NT$600,000 in the 'Taiwan Rice-Maestro Competition,' has had his elderly farmer's welfare allowance suspended since January of this year. The suspension was triggered because the prize was deemed to exceed the means-test threshold for the allowance.
Chen Yi-jen, Director of the Farmers' Service Department at the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), told the media today that the non-agricultural income must be below NT$500,000 to be eligible for the elderly farmer's allowance. The NT$600,000 prize won by farmer Li was recognized by the Ministry of Finance as personal non-agricultural income, thus disqualifying him. Mr. Li's allowance is currently suspended for one year, after which it will be reinstated. The MOA is currently discussing assistance measures with the Agriculture and Food Agency.
Li Chi-yuan, who has been farming for over 45 years, won the gold medal in the non-aromatic rice category of the 2024 'Taiwan Rice-Maestro Competition' organized by the Agriculture and Food Agency. He was awarded NT$300,000 each from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Caotun Township Farmers' Association. However, this prize money was classified as personal comprehensive income outside of agricultural earnings, and the total amount exceeded NT$500,000, making him ineligible for the elderly farmer's allowance. According to the Provisional Act for the Elderly Farmer's Welfare Allowance, his payments were suspended starting this January.
Legislator Ma Wen-chun of the Kuomintang (KMT), held a press conference in Caotun, stating that winning an award should be a cause for celebration, but the resulting one-year suspension of the elderly farmer's allowance is bewildering.
She said that the government established agricultural competitions and reward systems to encourage farmers to improve their skills and enhance the quality of agricultural products. These competitions create role models and drive overall agricultural development. However, the conflict between the prize money and the means-test clause for the elderly farmer's allowance has led to a substantial loss for the farmer, which clearly runs counter to the original policy intent. If farmers are afraid to compete because of concerns about their allowances, it will affect the government's policy goals of promoting agricultural competitions and enhancing industrial competitiveness.
Ma Wen-chun stated that a recent reply from the Ministry of Agriculture did not offer a remedy, but instead asked the farmer to provide relevant receipts from 2024 as a basis for income deductions, which calls into question the sincerity of the competent authority in resolving the issue. She convened a coordination meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Bureau of Labor Insurance of the Ministry of Labor, and the National Taxation Bureau of the Central Area of the Ministry of Finance, demanding that they face the institutional contradiction, devise a way to compensate the farmer for his loss, and conduct a comprehensive review of the system.
In a media interview, Li Chi-yuan said that winning a national championship is extremely difficult. The Ministry of Agriculture did not clarify beforehand why winning an award for the rice he cultivated would not be considered agricultural income, leading to him losing his eligibility for the elderly farmer's allowance after receiving the prize money. Calculating at NT$8,110 per month, the annual loss is nearly NT$100,000. He hopes the Ministry of Agriculture will make things clear in the future to prevent rewards from becoming punishments. (Editor: Lee Ming-tsung) 1150421
Chen Yi-jen, Director of the Farmers' Service Department at the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), told the media today that the non-agricultural income must be below NT$500,000 to be eligible for the elderly farmer's allowance. The NT$600,000 prize won by farmer Li was recognized by the Ministry of Finance as personal non-agricultural income, thus disqualifying him. Mr. Li's allowance is currently suspended for one year, after which it will be reinstated. The MOA is currently discussing assistance measures with the Agriculture and Food Agency.
Li Chi-yuan, who has been farming for over 45 years, won the gold medal in the non-aromatic rice category of the 2024 'Taiwan Rice-Maestro Competition' organized by the Agriculture and Food Agency. He was awarded NT$300,000 each from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Caotun Township Farmers' Association. However, this prize money was classified as personal comprehensive income outside of agricultural earnings, and the total amount exceeded NT$500,000, making him ineligible for the elderly farmer's allowance. According to the Provisional Act for the Elderly Farmer's Welfare Allowance, his payments were suspended starting this January.
Legislator Ma Wen-chun of the Kuomintang (KMT), held a press conference in Caotun, stating that winning an award should be a cause for celebration, but the resulting one-year suspension of the elderly farmer's allowance is bewildering.
She said that the government established agricultural competitions and reward systems to encourage farmers to improve their skills and enhance the quality of agricultural products. These competitions create role models and drive overall agricultural development. However, the conflict between the prize money and the means-test clause for the elderly farmer's allowance has led to a substantial loss for the farmer, which clearly runs counter to the original policy intent. If farmers are afraid to compete because of concerns about their allowances, it will affect the government's policy goals of promoting agricultural competitions and enhancing industrial competitiveness.
Ma Wen-chun stated that a recent reply from the Ministry of Agriculture did not offer a remedy, but instead asked the farmer to provide relevant receipts from 2024 as a basis for income deductions, which calls into question the sincerity of the competent authority in resolving the issue. She convened a coordination meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Bureau of Labor Insurance of the Ministry of Labor, and the National Taxation Bureau of the Central Area of the Ministry of Finance, demanding that they face the institutional contradiction, devise a way to compensate the farmer for his loss, and conduct a comprehensive review of the system.
In a media interview, Li Chi-yuan said that winning a national championship is extremely difficult. The Ministry of Agriculture did not clarify beforehand why winning an award for the rice he cultivated would not be considered agricultural income, leading to him losing his eligibility for the elderly farmer's allowance after receiving the prize money. Calculating at NT$8,110 per month, the annual loss is nearly NT$100,000. He hopes the Ministry of Agriculture will make things clear in the future to prevent rewards from becoming punishments. (Editor: Lee Ming-tsung) 1150421