U.S. Peanut Tariff-Free, Ministry of Agriculture: Taiwanese Farmers Will Not Be Affected
Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture reassures peanut farmers that they will not be affected by the upcoming zero-tariff import of U.S. peanuts, despite concerns over potential impacts. The Ministry has implemented comprehensive industry support measures, including 'wet pod trading' and automated drying centers, to mitigate any adverse effects.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 21:25
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 21:32 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 22:07 (35 min after Collected)
Central News Agency message
(Central News Agency reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, April 28) Although the Taiwan-U.S. Reciprocal Trade Agreement (ART) has not yet taken effect, some farmers are concerned that the zero-tariff import of U.S. peanuts will impact the industry. The Ministry of Agriculture stated today that it has comprehensive industry support measures in place to ensure that domestic peanut farmers will not be affected.
Vice Minister Hu Chung-yi of the Ministry of Agriculture said during a joint media interview this morning that after the zero-tariff import of U.S. peanuts, an estimated 20% to 30% of domestic peanuts would be affected. The Ministry of Agriculture issued a press release in the evening, explaining that this result would only occur if prices were compared in isolation and without the guidance of industrial policies. However, the Ministry of Agriculture has now planned comprehensive industry support measures, including a "wet pod trading" system, the establishment of automated joint drying centers, and the guidance of group contract farming, to ensure that domestic peanut farmers will not be affected.
The Ministry of Agriculture stated that the quantity of U.S. peanut imports is very small, accounting for less than 1% of the total import volume, and they are all processed shelled peanuts. If U.S. peanuts are imported, the primary competitors will be India, Argentina, and Brazil, not Taiwanese peanuts.
The Ministry of Agriculture also stated that domestic peanut varieties are excellent, have good flavor, and are fresh. Domestic peanuts have a high market share of up to 75% and are the first choice for the people. The Ministry of Agriculture will subsequently assist the industry in shaping high-quality peanut brands, improving the flavor and quality of domestic peanuts, and winning with value over price.
The Ministry of Agriculture emphasized that price is not the only indicator for agricultural product sales; quality, flavor, freshness, and eating habits are all criteria consumers use when choosing agricultural products. The excellent varieties, good flavor, and suitability for fresh consumption of domestic peanuts are unique advantages of domestic peanuts. The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to invest policy resources to create a high-quality brand for domestic peanuts.
Regarding the currently drafted peanut industry guidance measures, the Ministry of Agriculture pointed out that after peanut harvesting, they need to be dried before further processing. In the current peanut industry, farmers largely bear the cost of post-harvest drying. After discussions with industry players, the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture will promote a "wet pod trading" method, where the government will invest resources to assist in building modern drying facilities and subsidize buyers with "refrigeration facilities and drying equipment." This will allow farmers to trade directly after harvesting, without the need to pay extra for labor to process peanuts, effectively reducing farmers' production costs. Compared to traditional sun-drying with hired labor, this can substantially reduce labor and processing burdens.
The Ministry of Agriculture stated that by subsidizing operators to introduce machine drying, stable drying capacity can be ensured, and farmers will no longer have to worry about finding workers or drying fields, thus being able to confidently expand their cultivation scale. Through collectivized production, the basic production cost per unit area can be further reduced, enhancing overall industry competitiveness. In addition, it is also expected to subsidize front-end cold chain equipment to ensure the freshness of peanuts during post-harvest processing and storage, preventing the production of aflatoxins.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, there are currently about 30,000 domestic peanut farmers, and the cultivated area is decreasing year by year. A few years ago, it was about 19,000 hectares, dropping to 17,000 hectares in 2024 and further to 15,000 hectares in 2025, mainly concentrated in Yunlin County and Changhua County. (Edited by Kuan Chung-wei) 2026/04/28
(Central News Agency reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, April 28) Although the Taiwan-U.S. Reciprocal Trade Agreement (ART) has not yet taken effect, some farmers are concerned that the zero-tariff import of U.S. peanuts will impact the industry. The Ministry of Agriculture stated today that it has comprehensive industry support measures in place to ensure that domestic peanut farmers will not be affected.
Vice Minister Hu Chung-yi of the Ministry of Agriculture said during a joint media interview this morning that after the zero-tariff import of U.S. peanuts, an estimated 20% to 30% of domestic peanuts would be affected. The Ministry of Agriculture issued a press release in the evening, explaining that this result would only occur if prices were compared in isolation and without the guidance of industrial policies. However, the Ministry of Agriculture has now planned comprehensive industry support measures, including a "wet pod trading" system, the establishment of automated joint drying centers, and the guidance of group contract farming, to ensure that domestic peanut farmers will not be affected.
The Ministry of Agriculture stated that the quantity of U.S. peanut imports is very small, accounting for less than 1% of the total import volume, and they are all processed shelled peanuts. If U.S. peanuts are imported, the primary competitors will be India, Argentina, and Brazil, not Taiwanese peanuts.
The Ministry of Agriculture also stated that domestic peanut varieties are excellent, have good flavor, and are fresh. Domestic peanuts have a high market share of up to 75% and are the first choice for the people. The Ministry of Agriculture will subsequently assist the industry in shaping high-quality peanut brands, improving the flavor and quality of domestic peanuts, and winning with value over price.
The Ministry of Agriculture emphasized that price is not the only indicator for agricultural product sales; quality, flavor, freshness, and eating habits are all criteria consumers use when choosing agricultural products. The excellent varieties, good flavor, and suitability for fresh consumption of domestic peanuts are unique advantages of domestic peanuts. The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to invest policy resources to create a high-quality brand for domestic peanuts.
Regarding the currently drafted peanut industry guidance measures, the Ministry of Agriculture pointed out that after peanut harvesting, they need to be dried before further processing. In the current peanut industry, farmers largely bear the cost of post-harvest drying. After discussions with industry players, the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture will promote a "wet pod trading" method, where the government will invest resources to assist in building modern drying facilities and subsidize buyers with "refrigeration facilities and drying equipment." This will allow farmers to trade directly after harvesting, without the need to pay extra for labor to process peanuts, effectively reducing farmers' production costs. Compared to traditional sun-drying with hired labor, this can substantially reduce labor and processing burdens.
The Ministry of Agriculture stated that by subsidizing operators to introduce machine drying, stable drying capacity can be ensured, and farmers will no longer have to worry about finding workers or drying fields, thus being able to confidently expand their cultivation scale. Through collectivized production, the basic production cost per unit area can be further reduced, enhancing overall industry competitiveness. In addition, it is also expected to subsidize front-end cold chain equipment to ensure the freshness of peanuts during post-harvest processing and storage, preventing the production of aflatoxins.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, there are currently about 30,000 domestic peanut farmers, and the cultivated area is decreasing year by year. A few years ago, it was about 19,000 hectares, dropping to 17,000 hectares in 2024 and further to 15,000 hectares in 2025, mainly concentrated in Yunlin County and Changhua County. (Edited by Kuan Chung-wei) 2026/04/28