Food processing is playing a critical role in local agricultural development.
Fan Shao-han (范邵涵) has been running a strawberry farm in northern Taiwan’s Miaoli County since taking over from her father about a decade ago. “I used to work as a salesclerk in Taipei City but decided to return home to help my father, who’s getting too old to work in the fields,” the 42-year-old said. “Farming has turned out to be more profitable than I’d expected. Plus, I’m excited to see more young people entering agricultural professions and adopting innovative farming practices.” During her time at the helm, Fan has transformed her holding into a recreational farm and begun selling produce online. She also acts as a regional strawberry distributor, collecting the fruit from other growers and reselling it to Dahu Farmers’ Association (DFA) for processing. The multichannel strategy allows her business to enjoy steady growth and solid profits, she said.
Strawberries are used to make foodstuffs ranging from wine and mochi rice cakes to jams. (Couttesy of Dahu Farmers’ Association)
Known locally as the Strawberry Kingdom, Miaoli’s Dahu Township accounts for over 90 percent of the fruit’s yield in Taiwan, with a total cultivation area covering some 500 hectares. Strawberries in the region are normally harvested from December through April, but berries coming ripe toward the close of that period are smaller and worth less on the retail market. DFA’s bulk purchasing thus helps farmers maximize their return on end-of-season produce. “Strawberries are a high-value crop that bolsters the local economy, and they can fetch an even higher price per unit after processing,” Fan said. “DFA’s countrywide promotion of various food items incorporating the fruit really helps boost the visibility of the area’s strawberry industry.”
One such product capitalizing on Dahu’s fresh bounty is strawberry wine. Operated by DFA, Dahu Wineland Resort was established with the support of the county government in 2002. Visitors can learn about the winemaking process through a guided tour as well as browse cultural exhibits and shop for local specialties.
DFA Director Lin Hong-jian (林鴻鑑) said his organization has put a greater emphasis on food processing over the years to raise crop value and resolve oversupply issues. The practice not only serves to diversify revenue streams but also improves the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. “We’re striving to expand our offerings by using strawberries to make everything from beer and wine to cookies, dried fruit, jam and vinegar,” Lin said. “Along with our increased sales volume, we’ve been sourcing a larger amount of the fruit from growers through fixed-price contracts, helping farmers minimize production risks and secure stable income.”
Refined Results
Huatan Township in central Taiwan’s Changhua County likewise specializes in a high-value cash crop that forms the backbone of the local economy: jasmine. With its abundant sunshine and sandy soil, the area provides ideal conditions for cultivating the tropical plant, and as in Dahu, the farmers’ association plays a central part in developing the industry. Currently the group is working to enact eco-friendly farming practices across the board while expanding the role of food processing.
The jasmine industry in central Taiwan’s Changhua County is experiencing renewed growth thanks to Huatan Farmers’ Association’s promotion of eco-friendly farming practices and food processing. (Courtesy of Huatan Farmers’ Association)
According to Kuo Pi-chi (顧碧琪), director of Huatan Farmers’ Association (HFA), eliminating the use of pesticides is one of the organization’s top priorities. Accordingly, all contracts with jasmine growers prohibit insecticides and other toxic chemicals, which in turn helps guarantee the safety of consumable products. “To keep ahead of competition from low-priced agricultural imports, we strive to maximize crop value and minimize wastage while increasing farmers’ revenues and creating new job opportunities,” Kuo said. “These goals can be achieved by concentrating on the production of quality food items.”
One of the challenges HFA has faced along the way is crop loss due to pests. To address the problem, the association has teamed up with Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station in central Taiwan to great effect. Joint R&D efforts have already resulted in the average yield for organically grown jasmine reaching 50 percent of that for conventionally farmed varieties, a five-times increase since 2013. Likewise, the procurement price of pesticide-free jasmine has reached three times the market price of conventionally grown flowers.
HFA transforms jasmine flowers into premium tea products with striking packaging designs that have received domestic and international recognition including from Germany’s iF Design Award. (Courtesy of HFA)
Once HFA has collected harvests from farmers, it processes the jasmine into a wide variety of premium retail products including coffee, cookies, ice cream, jelly, pickled plums and vinegar. The most popular of all, however, are the teas made in cooperation with the Tea Research and Extension Station in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City. At the final stage, mixes of dried jasmine buds and black, jinxuan or oolong tea leaves are sealed into prize-winning packaging recognized by domestic and international competitions such as Germany-based iF Design and Red Dot Awards.
To help raise the industry’s profile, the association hosts the Jasmine Arts Festival every summer. The event includes flower picking, hands-on activities, sales of farm products, sightseeing tours and tea courses. It also features the Jasmine Huatan Pavilion of Dreams, which entertains visitors with exhibitions, DIY classes and interactive displays. “The jasmine blossom season generally takes place from May to August, with customers flocking to the area for flower viewing and picking as well as participating in our festival activities,” Kuo said. “The promotion of jasmine-based food items can then raise revenue for local farmers during off-peak periods.”
Bamboo thrives in Longci District of southern Taiwan’s Taiwan city due to the warm climate and sandy soil, covering more than 70 percent of the land area. (Courtesy of Longci Farmers’ Association)
Practical Applications
Longci District in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City is yet another area specializing in a specific agricultural good, with more than 70 percent of the region consisting of bamboo groves. Given the material’s renewable and versatile nature, Lin Wei-ru (林韋如), director of Longci Farmers’ Association (LFA), views cultivation of the abundant resource as the optimal way to reinvigorate the economy and create employment opportunities.
While bamboo shoots are considered a good source of nutrients, the commercially cultivated crop is mainly used as a construction material. Stalks of bamboo harvested after at least four years can also be burned in kilns at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1,200 degrees Celsius to make charcoal featuring excellent absorption properties. “Bamboo charcoal has a number of incredible benefits and uses. It can effectively absorb odors, moisture and air pollution and thus has huge market potential,” Lin said. “That’s why we’ve been actively researching the production process.”
According to Lin, the initiative to develop the local bamboo industry was launched in 2007 in collaboration with Taipei-based Taiwan Forestry Research Institute. The partnership subsequently opened a bamboo charcoal kiln and story house in 2009 to demonstrate the carbonization process, display different types of charcoal with explanations of their functions and promote related products.
Charcoal-based products including noodles and soaps are sold at the bamboo charcoal story house in Longci. (Courtesy of LFA)
Currently, a wide range of items derived from bamboo charcoal including blankets, deodorants, face masks, pillows, soap, socks and underwear have been jointly developed by LFA and Industrial Technology Research Institute in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County and New Taipei City’s Taiwan Textile Research Institute. Additionally, bamboo vinegar, a by-product of bamboo carbonization with disinfectant properties, is used to make dish and laundry detergents, liquid hand wash and shower gel. These commodities are sold through the association’s online shop and other e-commerce platforms as well as in supermarkets.
When it comes to food processing’s contributions to agricultural, economic and social development, LFA’s Lin, DFA’s Lin and HFA’s Kuo are in complete agreement. “It’s an important link between production and consumption in the food value chain,” the LFA director said. “The practice reduces waste by making more efficient use of resources, playing a pivotal role in advancing sustainable agriculture and overall prosperity.”
Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw