Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture has apologized after one of its farming apps displayed Chinese state holidays, an embarrassment for the government at a time of heavy sensitivity over Beijing's influence.

• The ministry's farming app showed China's October 1 National Day and August 1 army day in its calendar.
• Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih blamed the contractor that built the app for loading outside holiday data, but said the ministry failed to supervise the work.
• The calendar was fixed in an overnight update, and users get the corrected version when they reopen the app.
• The ministry is now checking its other systems for the same problem.
• Separately, Chen urged lawmakers to pass the extra budget quickly, warning that higher welfare payments for elderly farmers depend on it.

Outlook: Expect more scrutiny of government contractors' software in Taiwan, and a push in parliament to clear the supplementary budget before year-end.