 Agriculture Minister Hon. Alfred Prospe, alongside agriculture development officers of the Taiwan ICDF, interfaced with farmers as they took advantage of the subsidized agricultural input sale on the grounds of the Union Orchid Center earlier this week. Minister Prospe, in assuring farming constituents that his team of agriculture and food production leaders continue to work on initiating incentives to assist with access to affordable implements, says the Agriculture Ministry through the Seven Crops Project will maintain the schedule established for the input sales every two months. Ensuring that sinducia can sustainably provide its citizens with healthy food options comes at a price, and as the Agriculture Minister explains, the government stands prepared to make the adjustments where necessary to ensure farmers get the support needed to efficiently grow food. And it is really about helping farmers, you know, in terms of a subsidy on fertilizers, crates and pitmots and other farm inputs that is currently going on here. Our farmers have been struggling months past because they are complaining and have been complaining about the high cost of inputs. And the Seven Crops Program is really targeting vegetable farmers today. You know, I am aware that they can get the 25 Kg bag of fertilizer for around $60. It is now being sold at $105, $150 and they are getting it at a subsidized price. I can see they are very excited in my discussion with some of them, they are very happy to benefit from this exercise. And it is because our government is concerned about, you know, the farmers. It is because I am concerned about the client of the farmers. I want them to make a profit and continue to make a profit. Chief of the Taiwan Technical Mission, Daniel Lee says, his organization will keep the momentum going by supporting the framework for food security being developed by the island's agricultural leaders. The subsidized agricultural input sale is but one activity to directly address the financial hit been sustained by the farmers who are charged with providing wholesome crops for consumption. In poor sales, it is very important for farmers, especially nowadays, everything the price goes up. The inflection, no matter the fossil fuel, the ocean freight, air freight and the fertilizer itself. Every price goes up makes the cultivation very difficult. The farmers suffer from very high input costs. So the Taiwan Technical Mission, especially the second phase of the second project, we hope through the input sale can facilitate the farmer to reduce the input cost to have the more production and more income and benefit. Tuesday's input sale is being regarded as a successful undertaking, making it a staple in the slate of activities to help address the rising cost of agricultural and farming inputs on the island. From the communications unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, this is Amanda Ficklock reporting.