TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The DPP held a party policy forum Sunday for the Chiayi County magistrate primary, with Councilor Huang Rong-li (黃榮利) and Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) outlining plans to diversify the county’s economy beyond agriculture.
Tsai said he plans to support farmers by developing high-value crops and modernizing farming with AI and drone technology, while promoting Alishan tea and local coffee beans to global markets, per CNA.
Tsai pledged to expand the county’s key industrial parks and support Minxiong Township’s aerospace and drone industrial park for defense purposes. He also aims to improve the traffic network and build social housing near the industrial park in Lucao Township and the Southern Taiwan Science Park’s branch in Chiayi to address employment and housing needs.
Tsai further plans to build reclaimed water and seawater desalination plants to meet industrial water demand and install substations in the industrial parks for power. He aims to extend the road under the elevated high-speed rail from Chiayi's Taibao City to Tainan’s Xinying District to better link the two regions’ industrial development.
To boost tourism, Tsai pledged to transform the fishing ports in Budai and Dongshi Townships into tourist attractions, promote Alishan’s forestry culture via the Alishan Forest Railway, and highlight Zhongpu’s hot springs while building a cable car in Meishan Township.
He praised Magistrate Weng Chang-liang’s (翁章梁) administration, noting the county has repaid NT$12.58 billion (US$400 million) in debt over the past seven years and could be debt-free within two more years. He credited government subsidies and funding secured by legislators for helping ease the county government’s financial burden.
Meanwhile, Huang highlighted his achievements as mayor of Taibao City, noting he cleared NT$90 million in city debt within three years and rolled out social welfare programs such as childcare allowances, school fee subsidies, and funeral assistance. He also built a new city administration building and a cultural center.
Huang plans to strengthen the county’s industrial development to encourage residents who have moved elsewhere to return and ease population loss. To promote childbirth, the county will subsidize lunch and some school fees for elementary and junior high students.
He also pledged to clear the county’s debt and provide free health insurance for seniors aged 65 and above. He plans to introduce AI-powered systems in county administration and set up a livestock department to boost animal husbandry.
Huang added that he comes from a rural background, studied farming in Japan, and was named an outstanding farmer by the Ministry of Agriculture. As secretary-general of the Chiayi Farmers’ Association, he promoted greenhouse cherry tomato cultivation and said his experience would help enhance the county’s agricultural development.
