Council of Agriculture Questioned for the Death of 2Y Boy |奧萬大吊橋幼童墜死 農委會被質疑

Following the tragedy, Legislator Hsu Yung-ming questioned the Minister of Council of Agriculture Chen Chi-chung if the government had provided adequate safety precautions. Chen said they have sealed off the bridge for safety inspections in Aowanda as well as 12 other forest recreation areas.


A young boy fell off the bridge at the Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area and died. The cause of his death is still under investigation, but the New Party Power (NPP) legislator Hsu Yung-ming questioned if the government did provide adequate safety precautions as it encouraged children under the age of 12 to enter the park by offering free admissions. Minister of Council of Agriculture Chen Chi-chung was questioned during the Economic Committee session at the Legislative Yuan. He promised to carry out a comprehensive inspection.

Not only are we closing the suspension bridge in Aowanda, we are also doing a comprehensive inspections on the other 12 bridges. The inspection will focus on the safety precautions for children. Thank you legislator for your advice. I totally agree on the importance of the safety of basic infrastructures. We must do a comprehensive review on it.

Chen added that visitors to the Recreation Area are insured with accident insurance. There will be an insurance claim of NT$ 4.1 million.

In related news, the Economic Committee is also reviewing the draft amendment to the "Agricultural Production and Certification Act". Farms have been asked to apply for a food processing plant license even if they just want to do simple, primary food processing. The process is complicated and costly. If the draft is passed, the authority in charge will be changed from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to the Council of Agriculture, with loosened application requirements that are easier to meet.

It is hard to apply for a food processing factory when the authority in charge is the Economic Ministry. If you can't apply for a food processing factory, then you can't sell your products.

Even though there is a rule on labelling the origin of the product in the draft, some legislators worry the definition is not specific enough and are demanding the Council of Agriculture to come up with ways of preventing "fake origins" loopholes.

You have to come up with a more specific definition so that some people won't be able to fake the origins of the product. Otherwise why does Madou have an origin seal? It is to prevent other people from faking the origins. (That's because Madou calls for higher price.) Yes, so we have to advertise it.

According to article 11 in the draft, all verified agricultural products must have their place of origin labelled, except for those whose labels already include the location of the manufacturer or the verification plant. Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen pointed out like the price of pomelo in Tainan is higher than in other origins, therefore he hoped the labels can be precise to allow consumers to distinguish different origins.



小男童不幸在奧萬大國家森林遊樂區墜落身亡，確切原因還在調查，但時代力量立委徐永明質疑，十二歲以下兒童進入森林遊樂區免費，政府鼓勵小朋友入場，但真的有做好安全把關嗎？到立法院經濟委員會備詢的農委會主委陳吉仲表示，會進行全面安檢。

時代力量立委徐永明VS農委會主委陳吉仲表示：「不只是奧萬大的吊橋的問題，封橋的這個事情，是不是其他12處，全面的我們來做安檢，尤其是針對小朋友這部分，謝謝委員的建議，完全同意，基礎的設施的安全性，一定要全部去盤點過。」

主委陳吉仲補充說明，入園者皆有投保意外險，會有410萬元的保險理賠。而經濟委員會審查「農產品生產及驗證管理法修正草案」，過去農民若要做農產品初級加工，想設立食品工廠過程繁複成本又高，若草案通過，主管機關從經濟部回歸農委會，門檻相對降低。

農委會主委 陳吉仲表示：「以前在經濟部申請食品工廠，很難上架，因為你沒辦法申請食品工廠，你就沒辦法上通路。」

雖然草案內針對原產地標示，有一定的規範，但有立委擔心，定義仍不夠具體，要求農委會要想辦法避免農產品出現「洗產地」的漏洞。

民進黨立委 郭國文 vs. 農委會主委 陳吉仲表示：「你要更精緻的設想，這樣才不會去洗產地，不然我們為什麼麻豆，要用一個產地標章，就怕被洗走啊。（因為你們麻豆價格較好啊！) 對啊！問題就是要標榜啊！」

草案第11條規定，經過驗證的農產品，應標示原產地，但已經標示製造廠或驗證場所地址，足以表徵原產地，得免標示，立委郭國文指出，像台南文旦價格比其他產地文旦高，希望標示更清楚能讓消費者容易辨別。