Retired Servicemen Settlement of VAC and Agriculture Development of Lishan Area (1956- 1987)

• Main Authors: Po-sung Huang, 黃柏松
• Other Authors: 李力庸
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/02415574401227851043

碩士 === 國立中央大學 === 歷史研究所 === 95 === After the War, the Government set us Veterans Affairs Commission with the main duty of settling retired servicemen. The job of settlement is so vast that no one coult really cover everything. The Author selected Lishan Area as an example. Lishan Area is located in Taichung, Yilan and Nantou Counties with elevation of 1500 meters above sea level or higher and the temperature is between temperate zpne and frigid zone. It has been traditionally area of activities of Saramou clan of Atayal tribe. During Japanese Ruling period, they have tried to plant deciduous fruit trees in Lishan area, which made this area as the pioneer in planting apple, pear and peach. In meeting the needs in national defense, balancing economic development in eastern and western Taiwan and improving the living standard of aboriginal tribes, the Government applied US Aids and used retired servicemen as the work forces explored and build Central Cross-Island Highway. It had also the purpose to turn the manpower of retired servicemen from pure consumers into producers. The Cross-Island Highway project commenced on July 7, 1956 and the next year, established Lishan Veterans Farm for supplying fresh vegetables for the road builders. This is the start of settling retired servicemen, as well as agricultural development of Lishan Area. However, since the retired servicemen were all military personnel and were lack of other skills and they were used to following orders, they did not have any skills in agriculture. So, under the order of Chiang Jin-Kuo, that the produces should be benefiting the country in foreign exchange and should not be competing with the ordinary produces of Taiwan farmers, so deciduous fruits were chose. This met exactly to the suggestion of Department of Horticulture of Provincial Taichung College of Agriculture in 1955, after completing Horticulture Resources Investigation of Taichung Mountain areas. Therefore, with the funding and technical support, the farm started with the trial planting of fruit trees of temperate zone. Together with the experiment of summer vegetable seeds collection of Agriculture Restoration Council, it started planting of vegetables. The above laid the foundation of agricultural development of Lishan Area. After the success of trial planting of deciduous fruits, under the instruction of late President Chiang Kai-Shek, Fusoshan Farm started to transfer the skill to aboriginal tribes in Lishan Area, as well as providing seedlings to the aborigines for improving the living of aboriginal tribes. This move spread the planting of deciduous fruit to tribes in Lishan Area,and made they the wealthiest tribal people in Taiwan. The main objects of this research are retired servicemen, especially of low rank soldiers. Since they were retired from military services, they were used to following orders and they fulfilled duties as required without questioning. This is the main cause of success of Centeral Cross-Island Highway and Lishan Farm.