Taiwan eyes NT$11 billion revenue from leisure farms

Taiwan's agriculture authority said Thursday it will focus on promoting leisure farms as tourist attractions, setting a revenue goal of 11 billion New Taiwan Dollars (36.3 million U.S. dollars) for this year.

The agriculture authority said in a report that it plans to build the island into a paradise for agricultural tourism to attract more visitors.

The authority said it will integrate quality leisure farms around the island, promote high-quality services and practitioners, and expand the market, among other measures.

According to statistics from the agriculture authority, the number of visitors to leisure farms on the island increased from 9.59 million in 2008 to 20 million in 2013.

Visitors from outside the island increased from 63,700 in 2008 to 260,000 in 2013.