Taiwanese persimmon farmer Lo Chih-neng stands on a ladder in his sprawling orchard using pruning sheers to cut the golden-yellow fruit still hanging from branches after enduring a tough season.
Persimmons are popular in Taiwan where people travel hours to buy bags and boxes of the sweet dried fruit to take home to their families or give away to friends.
But changing weather and an aging population are posing a threat to the century-old industry, forcing some farmers to look at alternative ways to maximize returns — or get out altogether.
Photo: AFP
Lo’s harvest was down by more than a third last year, the hottest year on record, after some of his trees failed to bloom and two typhoons in October stripped many of their leaves and fruit.
“The yield has dropped by quite a lot, at least a third or more,” Lo, 65, said on his farm where persimmon trees carpet a valley in Taichung’s Dongshih District (東勢區).
“The losses have been severe, and it’s mostly due to the typhoons,” said Lo, who expects to lose NT$1 million (US$30,000) from his takings on this year’s crop.
The Central Weather Administration said Tuesday that last year was the hottest year since records began 127 years ago, echoing unprecedented temperature highs felt around the world.
CLIMATE HARDSHIP
The annual persimmon harvest declined for the second year in a row in 2023 to around 59,000 tonnes.
It is expected to be more than 13 percent lower last year, figures from the Agriculture and Food Agency show.
The land area used for growing the fruit has shrunk to 4,700 hectares from more than 5,300 hectares a decade ago, and the number of persimmon farmers has also fallen, Su Tang-chao, director of the agency’s fruit and flower division, said.
“In recent years, we have observed changes in production areas and fluctuations in yield and quality due to broader environmental changes, such as climate change and global warming,” Su said.
Fresh persimmons are harvested from September to December, with most of the fruit sent to Hsinchu County to be dried.
Nearly all of the fruit harvested every year is consumed in Taiwan.
Lo’s harvest is put into plastic crates, loaded into the back of a truck and taken to Weiweijia persimmon orchard (味衛佳柿餅觀光農場), where Lu Li-chien’s family has been growing and drying the fruit for more than a century.
Tourists flock to Lu’s farm to pose for photos among outdoor circular racks of fruit that shrivel and darken as they dry in the sun and wind — a traditional method used by the Hakka community.
Normally, fresh persimmons arrive at Weiweijia farm every day, but Lu said this year’s harvest has been “extremely low” and deliveries have been every two days. “Compared to previous years, we only have about 20 percent of the usual supply,” Lu, 68, said.
“When I ask the farmers about the cause, they said the trees are not blooming properly, the flowers aren’t opening up as they should.”
Lu blames “climate abnormalities,” with the production problems worsened by aging growers whose children have no interest in taking over the family orchard.
“We’ve never encountered such a situation,” he said of the poor harvest.
To maximize earnings, Lu’s workers collect persimmon peels and turn them into dye. There are also plans afoot to make skincare products.
Lo, who has a teenage daughter, said he hopes to pass his farm to his nephew in the next few years — if he is up to the challenge.
“I told him, ‘If you’re afraid of hardship, you won’t be able to do this’,” Lo said. “It gets really hot sometimes, and other times, it’s very cold.”
This month Taiwan received a brutal Christmas present as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) passed all three of its desired amendments, making recalls of elected officials more difficult, gutting the Constitutional Court and altering the budgetary allocations to local governments. The nation at present has no ultimate authority to determine the constitutionality of government actions, and the local governments, largely controlled by the KMT, have much greater funding. We are staring into an abyss of chaos. The amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法), if they become law (as of this writing President William Lai
When the weather is too cold to enjoy the white beaches and blue waters of Pingtung County’s Kenting (墾丁), it’s the perfect time to head up into the hills and enjoy a different part of the national park. In the highlands above the bustling beach resorts, a simple set of trails treats visitors to lush forest, rocky peaks, billowing grassland and a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the coast. The rolling hills beyond Hengchun Township (恆春) in Pingtung County offer a two-hour through-hike of sweeping views from the mighty peak of Dajianshih Mountain (大尖石山) to Eluanbi Lighthouse (鵝鑾鼻燈塔) on the coast, or
Charges have formally been brought in Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) bribery, corruption and embezzling of campaign funds cases. Ko was briefly released on bail by the Taipei District Court on Friday, but the High Court on Sunday reversed the decision. Then, the Taipei District Court on the same day granted him bail again. The ball is in dueling courts. While preparing for a “year ahead” column and reviewing a Formosa poll from last month, it’s clear that the TPP’s demographics are shifting, and there are some indications of where support for the party is heading. YOUNG, MALE
Taiwanese persimmon farmer Lo Chih-neng stands on a ladder in his sprawling orchard using pruning sheers to cut the golden-yellow fruit still hanging from branches after enduring a tough season. Persimmons are popular in Taiwan where people travel hours to buy bags and boxes of the sweet dried fruit to take home to their families or give away to friends. But changing weather and an aging population are posing a threat to the century-old industry, forcing some farmers to look at alternative ways to maximize returns — or get out altogether. Lo’s harvest was down by more than a third last year, the
RSS