戰後臺灣農業科學化的推手:以農業推廣體系為中心(1945-1965)

本文主要以戰後臺灣的「農業推廣體系」為考察對象，探討在農業復興與發展的過程中，農業推廣體系如何建立及推行農業科學化，並進而說明推廣體系所推廣的新技術對農民經濟產生何等影響。臺灣農業推廣體系的建立過程，承接了各時期不同的推廣組織，包括縱向繼承於日治時期的農會與農事小組、橫向移植中國農會的經費管理、隨美援而引進的四健會，以及自我創造與轉化的農事研究班。這四個方面絕非獨立的因素，而是在互相交互作用下，令臺灣農業推廣體系以「多源」而「多元」的樣態來呈現。 戰後臺灣社會如同日治末期與中國抗日戰爭期間陷入糧食短缺的窘境，以致於提高糧食生產量成為政府首要的急務，在「糧食增產」的訴求下延續與強化戰時措施。觀察科學化農業的推行過程中，充分展現戰後農業的發展完全是在戰前便已建立的基礎繼續運作，並逐步改變農民傳統的耕作方式。在科學化農業推廣過程中，農政單位透過農事小組及扮演其末稍組織的四健會、農事研究班之動員與組織，進行示範與宣導，農民眼見確實有利於增產而參與，更令其得以迅速普及，因而使得農業推廣體系在協力農業科學化上擔任重要角色。 臺灣農民在學習新技術後，生產量的確因此而增加，然而當1960年代臺灣土地生產力已達高極限時，農民在償還地價的壓力下，只得不斷地投入資材與勞動力，卻由於生產量無法達到預期的目標，造成生產成本大幅增加。再加上政府刻意壓低糧價，稻穀販賣所得未能得到應有的利潤，收支相抵之下農業所得日漸低落。在農家僅靠農業所得已不足以維持生活的情況下，不得不向外尋求收入來源，導致非農業所得逐漸成為農家盈餘的主要來源。This study focus on Agricultural Extension System in post-war Taiwan, discussing how Agricultural Extension System established and promoted Agricultural Science during the process of the agricultural renaissance and development. The establishment of Agricultural Extension System inherited from the extension organizations in different periods, such as famer’s association and Agricultural Unions in the Japanese period, the management from Chinese famer’s association, 4-H club coming with the US. Aid and local farm study clubs. Those four factors are not independent but interacting, therefore, there are many sources and features in Taiwanese Agricultural Extension System. Post-war Taiwanese society was lacking of food, just like it had been in the end of Japanese period and the anti-Japanese war, so “how to increase food’s production” took the first place above the policies. Because of the demand of increasing the food, the government inherited and reinforced the system during the war. Observing the process of promoting Agricultural Science, it shows that post-war agricultural development was based on what it had been in the pre-war period, and changed farmers’ way to cultivate step by step. During the process of promoting Agricultural Science, the government introduces this system into the farmers through Agricultural Unions, 4-h club, and farm study clubs so that the farmers could understand how it worked and became more willing to follow the policy, therefore, Agricultural Extension System plays an important role in promoting Agricultural Science. The production increased after the Taiwanese famers learned the new techniques, however, when the productivity of farming lands reached its top in 1960, under the pressure of land loan, the farmers had no choice but keeping inputting capital and labor force, but the cost went up because the production can’t reach their expectation. Furthermore, food price was restrained by the government, the famers couldn’t earn enough profits by selling the rice, so the agricultural income became lower and lower. Because agricultural income is not enough to support their life, famers have to search for other revenues. As a result, the off-farm income became the major profit in farm household