From Developer to Farmer: Livelihood Shift under Land Policy

In Taiwan, a law enacted in the 1990s prohibits converting agricultural land into residential land. Before the 1990s, 
Chang was a property developer who owned a large amount of farmland and planned to turn it into buildings.

Affected by the policy, he was hit by a land price crash and burdened with massive loans from the farmers’ association. He was forced to sell his farmland to avoid bankruptcy.

However, Chang did not give up. Instead, he restarted his life as a farmer, going through hardships step by step. 
He rented land to farm, learning every task—from plowing and transplanting rice seedlings to fertilizing 
and managing irrigation. Over the years, he gradually expanded his farm, and today he cultivates nearly thirty hectares of farmland.

A Chinese poem says, “Retreat can be a step forward,” a sentiment that Chang’s story truly exemplifies. 
Today, rice planting is mechanised, and Chang’s eldest son is willing to take over the farm work.

 以下為中文對照

在農地限建政策下 建商老張變成佃農的故事

嘉南平原冬日寒風中，隨著輪灌啟動，乾涸的稻田再次注滿水，白鷺鷥飛回田間，大地重現生機。站在田埂上的，是75歲的老張。他曾是蓋販厝的建商，在90年代末農地限建政策下，遭逢地價崩跌，背負高額農會貸款，累積的土地與財富在短短數年間全數拍賣，人生一夕翻轉。

​從建商變成佃農，老張選擇認命也選擇重新開始。他租地耕作，學會與土地共處，從犁田、插秧、施肥到追水，一步步撐起生活，逐年擴大規模，如今已成為耕作近三十甲的老佃農。二十年來，他在田間流汗，也在挫敗中站穩腳步。

如今，插秧已是機械化，老張的大兒子也願意接手農事。回望這片綠油油的稻田，老張的人生正如詩句所寫：「退步原來是向前」寒冬終會過去，土地與生命，仍持續生長。

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