TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japanese fast-food chain MOS Burger on Monday (March 7) broke ground for a food factory in Pingtung that Taiwan’s top agricultural official said will drive local industrial development.

The factory is the product of An-Shin Food Services Co., a joint venture between Taiwan’s TECO Group and MOS Food Services. Construction is expected to take 16 months in Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park (PABP) at the cost of NT$1.4 billion (US$49.5 million), per CNA.

The plant will manufacture foods sourced from local produce, an approach that ensures product quality and increases profits for farmers, reckoned Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲), minister of the Council of Agriculture (COA). PABP Director Hsieh Sheng-hsin (謝勝信) added that the plant will add job opportunities while promoting contractual farming, which is conducive to the development of the local agricultural sector.

MOS Burger has a significant presence in Taiwan with over 300 branches. It has adopted the practice of sourcing locally grown food ingredients, which it says reduces its carbon footprint and cushions it from COVID-induced supply chain disruptions.

An affiliate of the COA, the southern agricultural park housed 112 businesses as of January. The institute is dedicated to fostering upgrades that add value to agricultural produce and interlinking businesses across the supply chain, according to its website.