TAIPEI: Many people put off buying consumer goods during hard economic times. They still need food. Even getting enough to eat can be uncertain. The people of Taiwan are seeing the economy slide and Taiwan's unemployment rise.

More and more are considering taking up farming as one means of securing enough to eat for their families. The Council of Agriculture's (COA) program Wandervogel, which aims to bring new younger workers into the aging agricultural work force has had double the number of telephone enquiries about this year's program, said Ni Pao-jen, an official in charge of the program.

"You don't make as much as many others do, but working on the farm offers a stable income against such a bleak economic environment," said Ni. "That is definitely a contributing factor to the program's popularity."

Many of the people interested in signing up for the program are also finding an attraction in the simple, idyllic lifestyle of the farm, officials said.

As one example, Ni cited a message posted on a COA website by a self-claimed "poor engineer" who wanted to sign up for the program.

The engineer said: "I have been asked to take unpaid leave recently, making me worry about what my future holds. I would rather be back in nature."

Since the program was launched three years ago to provide hands-on farming experience for people 18 to 35 years of age, 3,856 people have attended the camps. Among those, 1,136 have advanced to the training phase, and 448 have gone on to work in the fields, according to a recently released COA report.

While there are no statistics on how many of the program's participants are unemployed, experts said the agricultural sector can serve as a safety net and a stabilizer when the economy is in dire straits.

"Everybody has to eat, the agricultural sector has historically been largely recession-proof and it can provide good returns if you are earnest in your undertaking," Lee Su-jen, an associate professor at Taipei Municipal University of Education, told the Central News Agency in a recent interview.

Due to the growing interest, the COA plans to hold more than 50 camps this year to help another 1,000 people get a taste of making a living on the farm. Registration for this year's program has yet to begin.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 03/13/2009 page1)