A quasi-governmental organization The establishment of irrigation associations can be traced back to the Japanese era. To manage irrigation ponds and channels, local leaders organized farmers to set up "water resource cooperatives" and contribute construction and operating fees. But because they worked in the public interest, the government also supplemented their funds.
半官方色彩農田水利會的成立，可以回溯到日據時代，為了管理埤塘及灌溉渠道，地方仕紳組織農民成立「水利組合」，由農民繳費分攤工程建設和營運費用，但因屬執行公共事務，政府也補助經費。