TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA, 農業部) broke ground on the "Agricultural Product Safety and Quality Testing and Intelligence Analysis Center" (農糧產品安全品質檢測與情資分析中心) in Wufeng District, Taichung City (台中市霧峰區), on Tuesday (Feb. 11).
Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季), Minister of Agriculture, who attended the ceremony, emphasized that the project represents a significant step toward expanding Taiwan's agricultural market internationally. He noted that consumers demand not only quality but also safety in agricultural products, a core policy from former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to current President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).
Shyu Tsyr-horng(徐慈鴻), Director General of the Agriculture Chemicals Research Institute under MOA (ACRI, 農業部農藥試驗所), stated that the center will feature advanced testing equipment, aligning Taiwan with countries like the U.S., Japan, and South Korea. The facility will integrate artificial intelligence and big data analysis technologies.
Chen pointed out that previous chemical testing for pesticide residues took 5 to 7 days, which hindered timely interception of products exceeding limits. Now, rapid mass spectrometry testing can intercept such products before they reach the market.