New Taiwanese government abandons biofuels strategy: “not feasible…limited land for agriculture”

April 24, 2008

In Taiwan, the newly elected government of Ma Ying-jeou is expected to halt biofuels development, and shift policy from the production of fuel from crops to increasing food productivity. The incoming chairman of the Council of Agriculture, Chen Wu-hsiung, told the China Post that biofuels are not feasible for Taiwan because of the limited land for agriculture.

Earlier,Â the deputy director of the Agriculture and Food Agency said that Taiwan will switch emphasis to producing ethanol after yields from biodiesel feedstock cultivation had proven to be a disappointment. The country will begin a phased transition from soy and sunflower cultivation on 7,000 acres to sweet potatoes for ethanol production.

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Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under International