![Hualien Taiwan Farmer-with-his-water-buffalo-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Hualien_Taiwan_Farmer-with-his-water-buffalo-01.jpg)
Agriculture is one of the main industries in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. It contributes to the
food security
Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World F ...
,
rural development
Rural development is the process of improving the quality life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas.
Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of l ...
and
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...
of Taiwan. Around 24% of Taiwan's land is used for farming.
Taiwan is a global leader in
vertical farming
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and ae ...
and
agritourism
Agritourism or agrotourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch.
Types
A 2018 article published in the ''Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development'' classified a ...
.
History
Prehistory
Agriculture has been an important sector of Taiwanese life since ages ago. From archaeological sites in
Changbin Township,
Taitung County
Taitung County (; Mandarin pinyin: ''Táidōng Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Tâi-tang-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Thòi-tûng-yen''; Paiwan: ''Valangaw'';lit:Eastern part of Taiwan) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island' ...
, since
Paleolithic Age
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tool ...
around 30,000-50,000 years ago, people hunted, fished and gathered. Only in the
Neolithic Age
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
around 5,000-2,000 years ago, did people began to live their
sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle type, in which one is physically inactive and does little or no physical movement and or exercise. A person living a sedentary lifestyle is often sitting or lying down while engaged in an activity like socia ...
where they grew rice and other crops and domesticated animals. During the
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
around 2,000 years ago, people in the northern coast of Taiwan began to make iron tools and food production increased significantly. In the 17th century, people from China began to migrate to Taiwan where they fished, hunted and grew crops. Most of them settled in the area around
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
.
Dutch Formosa
During the
Dutch Formosa
The island of Taiwan, also commonly known as ''Formosa'', was partly under colonial rule by the Dutch Republic from 1624 to 1662 and from 1664 to 1668. In the context of the Age of Discovery, the Dutch East India Company established its presence ...
in the early 17th century, the Dutch promoted the production of
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
and
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
. At that time, 119 km
2 of cultivated land in Taiwan belonged to the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
. The Dutch exported Taiwan's agricultural products and imported
pea
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
s,
tomato
The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...
es,
wax apples and
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
es from
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
and
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to Taiwan.
The Dutch introduced the
domestic turkey
The domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo domesticus) is a large fowl, one of the two species in the genus '' Meleagris'' and the same species as the wild turkey. Although turkey domestication was thought to have occurred in central Mesoamerica a ...
to Taiwan.
Ming Dynasty
During the rule of
Koxinga
Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), better known internationally as Koxinga (), was a Ming loyalist general who resisted the Qing conquest of China in the 17th century, fighting them on China's southeastern ...
in the
Kingdom of Tungning
The Kingdom of Tungning (), also known as Tywan by the British at the time, was a dynastic maritime state that ruled part of southwestern Taiwan and the Penghu islands between 1661 and 1683. It is the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Ta ...
in the late 17th century, the number of immigrants from China to Taiwan increased to 200,000 people. This resulted in the increase of land under cultivation to 292 km
2. Koxinga established a
land tenure
In common law systems, land tenure, from the French verb "tenir" means "to hold", is the legal regime in which land owned by an individual is possessed by someone else who is said to "hold" the land, based on an agreement between both individual ...
system and taught people to build
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
s for
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
.
Rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
was the main produce at that time. Chinese people also brought 43 kinds of
vegetable
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...
from
South China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
, such as
leek
The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...
s,
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
and
Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage (''Brassica rapa'', subspecies ''pekinensis'' and ''chinensis'') can refer to two cultivar groups of leaf vegetables often used in Chinese cuisine: the Pekinensis Group (napa cabbage) and the Chinensis Group (bok choy).
These ...
.
Qing Dynasty
During the
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, immigration from Mainland China to Taiwan increased because of wars and famines in the mainland. People began to build
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
s for irrigation. At this time, the cultivated land in Taiwan increased to 3,506 km
2 by 1895.
The eighteen century official Chiang Yun-chuan was responsible for significant improvements in irrigation and flood control in southern Taiwan and was incorporated into the local
folk religion
In religious studies and folkloristics, folk religion, popular religion, traditional religion or vernacular religion comprises various forms and expressions of religion that are distinct from the official doctrines and practices of organized re ...
as a deity.
Empire of Japan
![Service activity in the Heitō Secondary School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Service_activity_in_the_Heit%C5%8D_Secondary_School.jpg)
During the
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
, the Japanese greatly improved the agriculture sectors in Taiwan. They built concrete
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
s, reservoirs and
aqueducts which forms an extensive irrigation system, such as the
Chianan Irrigation
Chianan Irrigation (), also known as the Kanan Irrigation System, was built to support agricultural production in the Chianan Plain of Taiwan. The name "chia-nan" was derived from two place names among its surrounding area called Chiayi County, ...
.
Arable land
Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...
for rice and sugarcane productions increased by more than 74% and 30% respectively. They also established farmers' associations. Agriculture sector dominated the economy of Taiwan at that time. In 1904, 23% area of Taiwan was used as agricultural land.
The
Taiwan Agricultural Research institute
The Taiwan Agricultural Research institute is a research institute in Taiwan under the auspices of the Council of Agriculture.
History
The Taiwan Agricultural Research institute (TARI) was founded in 1895 by the Japanese colonial powers. It is ...
(TARI) was founded in 1895 by the Japanese colonial powers.
Republic of China
![Yellow Flowers and Mountains](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Yellow_Flowers_and_Mountains.JPG)
After the
handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
in 1945, the government revitalized the agricultural sector first to recover from the damage caused by
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and completed a full recovery by 1953. The government extended agricultural facilities and introduced the
land reform
Land reform is a form of agrarian reform involving the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution, generally of agricultural ...
program under the
Sino-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction Sino-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR; ) is a commission established in 1948 in mainland China. After the Chinese Civil War, the JCRR then moved to Taiwan, where its work has been widely credited with laying the agricultural b ...
. By 1956, agricultural land accounted for 34% of Taiwan's land use.
In the late 1940s, Taiwan underwent high-speed economic growth and industrialization. In 1963, industrial sectors output
value
Value or values may refer to:
Ethics and social
* Value (ethics) wherein said concept may be construed as treating actions themselves as abstract objects, associating value to them
** Values (Western philosophy) expands the notion of value beyo ...
exceeded agricultural sectors output value. Also in the 1960s, the government shifted their priority to the development of export-oriented economic policy which focused on
labor-intensive
Labor intensity is the relative proportion of labor (compared to capital) used in any given process. Its inverse is capital intensity.
Labor intensity has been declining since the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s, while its inv ...
industries, such as
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
s,
convenience food
Convenience food, also called tertiary processed food, is food that is commercially prepared (often through processing) to optimise ease of consumption. Such food is usually ready to eat without further preparation. It may also be easily por ...
and
consumer electronics
Consumer electronics or home electronics are electronic (analog or digital) equipment intended for everyday use, typically in private homes. Consumer electronics include devices used for entertainment, communications and recreation. Usually r ...
which eventually made Taiwan part of the
Four Asian Tigers
The Four Asian Tigers (also known as the Four Asian Dragons or Four Little Dragons in Chinese and Korean) are the developed East Asian economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Between the early 1960s and 1990s, they underwent ra ...
, along with
British Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. However, this caused pressure on the agricultural sector as more and more people moved away from rural areas and labor costs increased.
In the 1970s, the role of agriculture shifted from the primary focus of the economy to a supporting role. The government at that time issued policies for farmers to grow organic crops. In the 1980s, much farmland was left idle due to the emigration of people from rural to urban areas as well as Taiwan beginning to open up to staple food imports. On 1 January 2002, Taiwan joined the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
under the name
Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. This accession caused further damage to the agricultural sector in Taiwan. In response, the government has promoted agricultural tourism.
While the importance of agriculture to the Taiwanese economy has declined greatly from its heyday Taiwan has become a global leader in the vertical farming industry. Due to their efficient development of vertical farming technology and know-how Taiwanese firms are often partnered with by international firms looking to start vertical farming ventures in their home countries. The vertical farming industry benefits from the high concentration of LED, robotics, engineering, and data processing firms in Taiwan. Vertical farms in Taiwan primarily compete with imported produce and focus on producing premium vegetables as their products remain more expensive than those from Taiwan's traditional farms.
Recently, the government has introduced new policy to reactivate all of the remaining idle farmland to ensure food security, food self-sufficiency and to revitalize the agriculture sectors. Policies to develop the sector to be more competitive, modern and green were also introduced. This has led to a large number of urban youth taking up farming. Since 2009 the Agriculture Council has subsidized education and training for new farmers, most of whom already hold advanced degrees.
In 2020 the Taiwanese government's Council of Agriculture set aside NT$5 billion (US$166.21 million) in loans for produce, livestock and aquaculture operations as well as other agriculture-based enterprises effected by the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic. The loans are at a preferential rate of 0.79 percent to 1.68 percent.
In 2021 the Taiwanese government began incentivizing rice farmers to diversify their production beyond the staple crop.
Government
![Council of Agriculture Building 20100930](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Council_of_Agriculture_Building_20100930.jpg)
Agriculture-related affairs in Taiwan are handled by
Council of Agriculture
The Council of Agriculture (COA, ) is the official government body in the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the Executive Yuan in charged with overseeing affairs related to agriculture, forestry, fishery, animal husbandry and food affairs. CAO is a ...
(COA), headed by Minister
Chen Chi-chung
Chen Chi-chung () is a Taiwanese politician. He is the Minister of Council of Agriculture since 14 January 2019 after being the acting Minister since 4 December 2018.
Education
Chen obtained his master's degree in agricultural economics from N ...
, and its division
Agriculture and Food Agency
The Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA; ) is the agency of the Council of Agriculture of the Taiwan (ROC) handling affairs related to agriculture in Taiwan.
Organizational structure
Operational divisions
*Planning Division
*Crop Production Div ...
. Taiwan houses the headquarter of the World Vegetable Center. Taiwan is also a member of world organizations related to agriculture, such as
Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization
African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) formed in 1962, is an autonomous inter-governmental organization comprising 34, 18 from Africa, 15 from Asia as full members and one associate member from Asia.
AARDO is devoted to develop under ...
,
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy, economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. ,
and
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
.
Produce
In 2013, there are four main agricultural produce sectors in Taiwan, which are plant crops (47.88%),
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
(31.16%),
fishery
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...
(20.87%) and forest (0.09%). The total annual agriculture produce production is around 6.9 million tons.
Rice
![Taiwan in HDR (4243621343)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Taiwan_in_HDR_%284243621343%29.jpg)
In 2013, Taiwan harvested more than 1.6 million tons of rice
yield from 2,703 km
2 of land with a total value of NT$36.9 billion. It is the most valuable cash crop in Taiwan. The quality of Taiwanese rice is extremely high.
Before the Japanese colonial period most rice grown in Taiwan was long-grained Indica rice, the Japanese introduced short-grained Japonica which quickly changed both the farming and eating patterns of the Taiwanese.
Betel nuts
In 2001, Taiwan harvested 165 thousand tonnes of
betel nuts
The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plant ...
from more than 500 km
2 of land, the second most valuable cash crop after rice.
Cocoa
Cocoa cultivation on Taiwan began during the Japanese period but support ended after WWII. The next wave of cultivation occurred in the 1970s but petered out because farmers lacked the expertise necessary to process the raw beans. The modern industry was kickstarted by Chiu Ming-sung a betel nut farmer and
chocolatier
A chocolatier is a person or company who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients.
Education and training
Traditionally, chocolatiers, e ...
from Pingtung who in 2007 became the first on Taiwan to make tree-to-bar chocolate.
Taiwan's cocoa production is centered in Pingtung in Southern Taiwan. Because of high production costs and small farm size Taiwanese cocoa producers focus on producing estate-grade beans.
In Pingtung county cocoa is generally grown as a
companion crop to betel nut as the tall
betel nut palms shade the cocoa plants. As of 2020 approximately 200-300 acres was under cultivation in Pingtung supporting around 30 chocolate making companies.
Chocolate industry
The cocoa industry supports a significant domestic cocoa processing and chocolate making industry.
Taiwan is one of the few mature chocolate making countries to also be a cocoa producer.
In 2021 Taiwan tightened the labelling regulations for chocolate.
Coffee
The first coffee plants on Taiwan were imported by the British to Tainan in 1884 with the first significant small scale cultivation taking place in New Taipei City's
Sanxia District
Sanxia District () is a District (Taiwan), district in the southwestern part of New Taipei, Taiwan. It is the second largest district in New Taipei City by area after Wulai District.
Name
The old name of Sanxia, ''Sa-kak-eng'' () refers to t ...
. Tainan remains the heart of Taiwanese coffee culture.
Commercial
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
production in Taiwan began during the Japanese colonial period.
The Japanese developed the industry to feed the export market.
Production reached a peak in 1941 following the introduction of
arabica coffee
''Coffea arabica'' (), also known as the Arabic coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is believed to be the first species of coffee to have been cultivated and is currently the dominant cultivar, r ...
plants. Production declined shorty thereafter as a result of World War II.
Domestic production is small but of high quality, imported beans account for the vast majority of coffee sold in Taiwan. In 2016 domestic production was 900 tons while 30,000 tons was imported.
The
coffee borer beetle
''Hypothenemus hampei'', the coffee berry borer or coffee borer beetle, is a small beetle native to Africa. It is among the most harmful pests to coffee crops across the world where coffee is cultivated. Spanish common names of the insect include ...
is a significant pest in Taiwan.
Tainung No. 1 is the first popular domestically bred coffee cultivar. It can be grown at lower altitudes than most coffee varieties and produces excellent quality beans.
Fruits
![Strawberry farm, Dahu Township2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Strawberry_farm%2C_Dahu_Township2017.jpg)
In 2013, Taiwan harvested 2.68 million tonnes of fruits from 1,844 km
2 of land with a total value of US$191 million. Taiwan's fruit crops include
banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
,
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
,
guava
Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...
,
jujube
Jujube (), sometimes jujuba, known by the scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'' and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus ''Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae.
Description
It is a smal ...
,
lychee
Lychee (US: ; UK: ; ''Litchi chinensis''; ) is a Monotypic taxon, monotypic taxon and the sole member in the genus ''Litchi'' in the Sapindus, soapberry family, ''Sapindaceae''.
It is a tropical tree native to Southeast and Southwest China (t ...
,
mandarin orange
The mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Tangerines are a group of orange-coloured ...
,
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
,
orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
,
papaya
The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...
,
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
,
pomelo
The pomelo ( ), ''Citrus maxima'', is the largest citrus fruit from the family Rutaceae and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefr ...
,
sand pear,
dragonfruit
A pitaya () or pitahaya () is the fruit of several different cactus species indigenous (ecology), indigenous to the Americas. Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus ''Stenocereus'', while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the ge ...
,
starfruit
Carambola, also known as star fruit, is the fruit of '' Averrhoa carambola'', a species of tree native to tropical Southeast Asia. The mildly poisonous fruit is commonly consumed in parts of Brazil, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the South Pacif ...
,
strawberry
The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...
,
watermelon
Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieti ...
and
wax apple
''Syzygium samarangense'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, native to an area that includes the Greater Sunda Islands, Malay Peninsula, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but introduced in prehistoric times to a wider ...
. The annual fruits export is 60,000 tons with a value of NT$3,452 million. In 2018 largest export market of Taiwanese fruits was
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
Avocados
Most avocado varieties grown in Taiwan produce large fruit. Domestic avocados compete with imported American hass avocados in the local market. Cultivation grew from 506 hectares in 2011 to 1,149 hectares in 2020 due to rising popularity.
Bananas
Bananas are Taiwan's most important export fruit. The
Taiwan Banana Research Institute
The Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI; ) specializes in the breeding of bananas and research about their cultivation and diseases. Bananas are Taiwan's most important export fruit.
History
The TBRI was founded in 1970 in response to the d ...
is tasked to undergo research and development of banana cultivation in Taiwan.
Citrus
By 1984 there were 34,000 hectares of citrus orchards in Taiwan annual yields of 360,000 metric tons with mandarin oranges and tangerines leading in production. In 2008 a glut in orange production forced the export of surplus fruit to China. President
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, 馬英九, born 13 July 1950) is a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. Previously, he served as justice minister from 1993 to 1996 and mayor of Taipei from ...
even personally contributing $80,000 NTD to support an orchard in Gukeng township in Yunlin County as a result of the glut.
The average pomelo harvest is 74,000 tonnes.
Pomelos are exported to China and Japan. Tainan is a major pomelo growing area. Greenpeace has warned that global warming could negatively impact Taiwanese pomelo production.
In 2018 there were 2,737 hectares of lemons in cultivation with 1,820 of those located in Pingtung County.
Taiwan produces a small amount of
Australian finger lime
''Citrus australasica'', the Australian finger lime or caviar lime, is a thorny understorey shrub or small tree of lowland subtropical rainforest and rainforest in the coastal border region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
It has ...
.
In 2022 China blocked the importation of Taiwanese citrus due to tensions over the
2022 visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan
United States politician Nancy Pelosi, while serving as the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan ( officially the Republic of China) on August 2, 2022. A delegation of five Democratic Party members of the House accompanied ...
. This affected the pomelo industry in particular due to the ban's timing and its exposure to the Chinese market.
Custard apples
![Bin Lang Taiwan Cherimoya-fruits-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Bin_Lang_Taiwan_Cherimoya-fruits-01.jpg)
Production of
custard apples
Custard apple is a common name for a fruit and for the tree that bears it, ''Annona reticulata.''
The tree’s fruits vary in shape; they may be heart-shaped, spherical, oblong or irregular. Their size ranges from 7 to 12 cm (2.8 to 4.7 i ...
in concentrated in Taitung County, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung County. Annual production is 57,000 metric tons. Historically, 23% of production was exported to China, but Chinese authorities banned new imports of Taiwanese custard apples in 2021.
Dragonfruit
Pingtung is the center of dragonfruit cultivation which is known locally as pitaya. Academic
Yen Chung-Ruey is known as Taiwan's “Father of Pitaya.”
Most of the production is consumed domestically but dragonfruit are also exported to Canada, China and Hong Kong.
Guavas
Guavas are a significant product with a little over half of exports going to Canada, in 2019 Taiwan received permission to export guavas to the United States for the first time.
Mangos
Mangos have been cultivated in Taiwan for more than 400 years. For the last fifty years the market has been dominated by the
Irwin mango. The Irwin mango was first grown in Taiwan in 1962 by Cheng Han-chih (鄭罕池) in Douliuzai Village,
Yujing District, Tainan. In 1973 the government designated Douliuzai Village as a mango special agricultural zone. By the 1970s the residents of Douliuzai Village where known for their wealth due to mango cultivation. Cheng Han-chih is considered to be the godfather of the lucrative modern mango industry. The traditional variety of mango, known as the “native mango” (土芒果), is smaller and more fibrous than modern varieties due to this they are often
pickled
Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called ...
or
candied
Candied fruit, also known as glacé fruit, is whole fruit, smaller pieces of fruit, or pieces of peel, placed in heated sugar syrup, which absorbs the moisture from within the fruit and eventually preserves it. Depending on the size and type of ...
.
Papaya
The papaya cultivar ''Papaya No. 7'' is a significant cash crop in Pingtung.
Pineapples
Taiwan is a significant producer of
pineapples
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centurie ...
, with production primarily occurring in Pingtung and other southern regions. Pineapples make up 40% of Taiwan's fruit exports by value.
In 2021 China banned the importation of pineapples from Taiwan just as the season was beginning claiming that previous imports had been contaminated with pests, claims questioned or denied by experts, producers, and the Taiwanese government. In response to the ban the Taiwanese government asked the Taiwanese people and diplomatic allies to increase their consumption of Taiwan's “Freedom Pineapples” and promised financial assistance to any farmers who saw losses as a result of the ban.
The “Freedom Pineapples” initiative received support from allies such as Canada and the United States with the Canadians referencing the Canadian invention
pineapple pizza
Hawaiian pizza is a pizza originating in Canada, and is traditionally topped with pineapple, tomato sauce, cheese, and either ham or bacon.
History
Sam Panopoulos, a Greek-born Canadian, created the first Hawaiian pizza at the Satellite Restau ...
. The Freedom Pineapple campaign was launched by Foreign Minister
Joseph Wu
Joseph Wu Jaushieh (; born October 31, 1954) is a Taiwanese politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China under current President Tsai Ing-wen since February 26, 2018. He was formerly the Secretary-Gen ...
on Twitter.
Lychee
Lychee
Lychee (US: ; UK: ; ''Litchi chinensis''; ) is a Monotypic taxon, monotypic taxon and the sole member in the genus ''Litchi'' in the Sapindus, soapberry family, ''Sapindaceae''.
It is a tropical tree native to Southeast and Southwest China (t ...
production is significant with more than 3,000 hectares under cultivation in Kaohsiung alone. The two main varieties are Heiyezi and Yuhebao. Production was reduced in 2021 due to drought.
Viticulture and winemaking
Independent
winemaking
Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...
was illegal in Taiwan for a long time due to the monopoly granted to the
Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation
Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL; ), is a state-owned manufacturer and distributor of cigarettes and alcohol, and also formerly (until 2002) a state-sanctioned alcohol beverage brewing and retailing monopoly, in Taiwan. Its most famou ...
.
Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation produced just one wine, a
rosé
A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the skin contact method. ...
. With liberalization following the end of military rule independent winemakers became legal in 2002 and in 2014 a Taiwanese wine won its first gold medal at an international competition. The primary grapes cultivated for winemaking in Taiwan are Black Queen and Golden Muscat which were both introduced to the country in the 1950s. A red wine from Taichung was awarded a gold medal at the 25th Vinalies Internationales in France. In 2020 Taiwanese wines won two gold medals at the 26th Vinalies Internationales Competition. Grape harvest in Taiwan is dictated by the typhoon season which means growers are sometimes forced to pick less than ripe fruit. Two of the most acclaimed wineries are Domaine Shu Sheng and Weightstone Vineyard Estate & Winery. The relative rarity and high quality of Taiwanese wines makes them particularly prized by Hong Kong collectors.
Although it was once largely lost Taiwan's indigenous winemaking culture is staging a comeback.
Wax apples
Wax apple
''Syzygium samarangense'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, native to an area that includes the Greater Sunda Islands, Malay Peninsula, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but introduced in prehistoric times to a wider ...
s are a significant crop in Taiwan. Taiwanese researchers have bred firmer, larger, and more deeply red varieties of the wax apple to appeal to the local market and growing conditions. This has led some to inaccurately believe that wax apples themselves were invented in Taiwan. The variety ''Black Pearl'' is highly valued.
Production of wax apples in concentrated in Taitung County, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung County. Annual production is 47,000 metric tons. Historically, 10% of production was exported to China, but Chinese authorities banned new imports of Taiwanese wax apples in 2021.
Pingtung's southern coast is particularly productive for wax apples as the trees perform favorably in slightly saline conditions.
Indian jujube
Indian jujube
''Ziziphus mauritiana'', also known as Indian jujube, Indian plum, Chinese date, Chinese apple, ber, and dunks is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related Chinese jujube ...
production in Taiwan is significant. Productions is centered in Kaohsiung with 750 hectares, 40% of the national total, of Indian jujubes. The annual production value is 1b NTD.
Strawberries
The most commonly cultivated strawberry variety in Taiwan is the ''Taoyuan No. 1'' (桃園1號).
Mushrooms
Wild mushrooms and fungus were widely consumed by the indigenous people of Taiwan as well as being used for medicinal and spiritual purposes. Commercial mushroom farming on Taiwan can be traced to methods introduced during the Japanese period. The industry took off in the 1950s after being targeted by the U.S.-ROC Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR) for development. Exports of canned mushrooms began in 1960 and by 1963 Taiwan was the world's top mushroom exporter with a third of the global market. Exports of canned mushrooms peaked in 1978 before declining as production shifted to lower cost countries. Today the vast majority of mushrooms produced on Taiwan are consumed locally but due to high mushroom consumption the industry is very large. Mushrooms account for 18% of the value of Taiwan's non-meat food production. New farming methods and localized marketing have allowed traditional producers to remain competitive with large industrialized producers.
Vegetables
![Vegetable Farming Park, Nangan, Matsu, Taiwan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Vegetable_Farming_Park%2C_Nangan%2C_Matsu%2C_Taiwan.JPG)
In 2013, Taiwan harvested 2.75 million tonnes of vegetables from 1,460 km
2 of land with a total value of US$170 million. Major vegetables cultivated include
broccoli
Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is cl ...
,
cabbage
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...
,
carrot
The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nat ...
,
chayote
Chayote (''Sechium edule''), also known as mirliton and choko, is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. This fruit was first cultivated in Mesoamerica between southern Mexico and Honduras, with the most genetic diversity ...
,
Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage (''Brassica rapa'', subspecies ''pekinensis'' and ''chinensis'') can refer to two cultivar groups of leaf vegetables often used in Chinese cuisine: the Pekinensis Group (napa cabbage) and the Chinensis Group (bok choy).
These ...
,
edamame
is a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod, found in cuisines with origins in East Asia. The pods are boiled or steamed and may be served with salt or other condiments. In Japan, they are usually blanched in 4% salt water for 5 minut ...
,
eggplant
Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit.
Mos ...
,
kai-lan
Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, Chinese kale, or jie lan (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''alboglabra'') is a leaf vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to (but much smaller than) broccoli. ...
,
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...
,
scallion
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, ch ...
and
spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
. Vegetable plantation areas are mostly located in central and southern Taiwan. The peak harvest time is during the autumn and winter seasons.
Vegetable production is increasingly the focus of
urban agriculture
Urban agriculture, urban farming, or urban gardening is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around urban areas. It encompasses a complex and diverse mix of food production activities, including fisheries and fo ...
including
vertical farming
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and ae ...
due to the desire to maximize crop yield from relatively small plots without using excessive amounts of pesticides or fertilizers. Increased production is also driven by a desire to minimize Taiwanese dependence on other countries as sources of fresh produce, especially high value vegetables. Taiwan's vertical vegetable farms are some of the most advanced in the world.
Taoyuan’s iFarm was Asia's largest vertical farm when it opened in 2018.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young sho ...
have been grown in Taiwan since at least 1603 following their introduction to Asian by the Spanish. However the possibility exists that the sweet potato reached Taiwan before the Spanish colonization of the new world. It rapidly became a staple of local diets. Poor families would often mix sweet potato into their rice or millet to stretch it out. Unlike the other staples of rice and millet, sweet potatoes could be grown on hillsides with limited preparation. Cultivation of sweet potato reached its height during the Japanese colonial period with Taiwan ranking fourth in output from 1934 to 1938 after China, Japan, and the United States with 3.7% of world production. Production fell as a result of World War II and economic disruption. It took off again in the 1950s and 1960s but with most of the crop destined to feed hogs not people. Production fell again after commercial swine producers switched to imported grains like corn for their feed. In modern Taiwan sweet potatoes are grown as a root vegetable, as a leaf vegetable, and for their starch. 40% of the crop is exported to Singapore and Hong Kong with the rest being consumed domestically either fresh or processed. Sweet potatoes are associated with poverty and their consumption is avoided by many elders however sweet potatoes continue to play an important part in Taiwanese cuisine.
Research into the sweet potato at the Chiayi research station of the Taiwan Agricultural Research institute began in 1922. For the first 20 years after its founding in 1971 the
World Vegetable Center
The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) (), previously known as the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC), is an international, nonprofit institute for vegetable research and development. It was founded in 1971 in Shanhua, souther ...
was a major global sweet potato research center with over 1,600 ascensions in their first two years of operation. In 1991 the World Vegetable Center chose to end its sweet potato research due to high costs and other institutions with a tighter focus coming into existence. The WVC duplicated and transferred its research and germplasm to the
International Potato Center
The International Potato Center (known as CIP from its Spanish language, Spanish-language name ''Centro Internacional de la Papa'') is a research facility based in Lima, Peru, that seeks to reduce poverty and achieve food security on a sustaine ...
and Taiwan Agricultural Research institute.
The counties of Yunlin, Taichung, Miaoli and Changhwa are the main sweet potato producers. Hualien county is known for its unique varieties of sweet potato.
Tea
![Tea plantation, Pinglin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Tea_plantation%2C_Pinglin.jpg)
In 2013, Taiwan harvested about 15,000 tons of tea with a total value of NT$6.92 billion, of which 3,919 tons was exported. Taiwan's tea produces are
oolong tea
Oolong (, ; (''wūlóngchá'', "dark dragon" tea)) is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea (''Camellia sinensis)'' produced through a process including withering the plant under strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting.Zhongguo ...
,
pouchong tea,
green tea
Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...
and
black tea
Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...
. Taiwan began cultivating tea around two hundred years ago.
Flowers
In 2013, Taiwan
harvested flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s with a total value of NT$16.52 billion, in which US$189.7 million of it was exported. Flower plantation land spreads over an area of 138 km
2.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center ...
floriculture takes the most land share among other types of flowers. Taiwan is the world's largest exporter of
orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
s, which represented 87% of the flower export value in 2013. The main export markets for Taiwanese flowers are the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
The export oriented flower market suffered during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
with an increase in domestic consumption and government support necessary to keep the industry profitable.
The
Taipei Flower Market
Agriculture is one of the main industries in Taiwan. It contributes to the food security, rural development and conservation of Taiwan. Around 24% of Taiwan's land is used for farming.
Taiwan is a global leader in vertical farming and agritouris ...
is the largest plant and flower market in Taiwan.
The Taiwan Floriculture Development Association is the primary industry association.
Livestock and poultry
![Mizuhomakiba07](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Mizuhomakiba07.jpg)
In 2013, Taiwan produced
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
and
poultry
Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, a ...
with a total value of NT$150 billion. Taiwan's major livestock are
pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
s, and the major poultry is chickens, both as
broiler
A broiler is any chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') that is bred and raised specifically for meat production. Most commercial broilers reach slaughter weight between four and six weeks of age, although slower growing breeds reach slaughte ...
s and
egg
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...
s. Taiwan exported 10,890 tons of animal products and imported 295,063 tons. 90% of pork consumed in Taiwan is domestically produced.
Geese are a significant part of Taiwan's livestock and cuisine.
Turkeys have been raised in Taiwan since partial Dutch colonization, production increased in the 1950s due to demand from US soldiers newly stationed in Taiwan. Turkey production remained significant after the drawdown in US forces.
The
Giant African snail Giant African land snail is the common name of several species within the family Achatinidae, a family of unusually large African terrestrial snails:
* ''Achatina achatina'', also known as the agate snail or Ghana tiger snail
* ''Lissachatina fulic ...
was introduced to Taiwan by the Japanese in 1932 and have since formed a significant part of rural food culture. Only since the advent of commercial farming of the white-jade variety in the 1980s has consumption become widespread.
Taiwan is a significant goat producer but produces few sheep, the mandarin for both species is yang (羊) which leads to little distinction between them in cuisine. Most local meat sold as mutton in Taiwan is in fact goat.
Fisheries and aquaculture
![Jiangjyun Village](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Jiangjyun_Village.JPG)
Aquaculture has a long history in Taiwan. By 2006 the production of Taiwanese coastal aquaculture was valued at NT$11,817 million.
In the 21st century high technology is playing a greater part in Taiwan's aquaculture industry as the industry struggles to cope with labor shortages and fierce foreign competition. The Taiwanese government operates six fisheries and aquaculture research centers.
The Aquaculture Taiwan Expo & Forum is the primary aquaculture
trade show
A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and cu ...
in Taiwan, it is held concurrently with the Livestock Taiwan Expo & Forum and the Asia Agri-Tech Expo & Forum.
Taiwan is one of the largest fishing nations on earth and the associated
fish processing
The term fish processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer. Although the term refers specifically to fish, in ...
industry is also significant. More than one third of the worlds
longline Long line or longline may refer to:
*''Long Line'', an album by Peter Wolf
*Long line (topology), or Alexandroff line, a topological space
*Long line (telecommunications), a transmission line in a long-distance communications network
*Longline fish ...
tuna fishing vessels are operated by Taiwanese companies with the total strength of the distant waters fishing fleet at more than 2,000 vessels. The fishing industry is estimated to be worth approximately two billion dollars.
Taiwan's ocean fisheries sector employs 350,000 people and there are 130,000 fishing households in Taiwan.
Economy
![ROC-ABOT Department of Business 20171018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/ROC-ABOT_Department_of_Business_20171018.jpg)
In 2013, agriculture sector contributes around 1.69% of its
gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
(GDP) with a total value of NT$475.90 billion. Combined with agriculture-related tourism sector, it contributes to 11% of Taiwan's GDP. Taiwan exports around US$5 billion worth of agricultural products annually to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Manpower
The agriculture sector employs around 540,000 people in Taiwan, about 5% of the total population. In 1997, there were around 780,000 farm households, in which 80% of them were part-time farm households. There are 1.1 hectares of cultivatable land per farm family.
Finance
Agricultural financing system consists of the Agricultural Bank of Taiwan () and credit departments of farmers' and fishermen's association which falls under the supervision of the Bureau of Agriculture Finance () of the COA. Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund () is responsible for financing farmers without enough
collateral
Collateral may refer to:
Business and finance
* Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan
* Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Collate ...
to acquire
working capital
Working capital (WC) is a financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organisation, or other entity, including governmental entities. Along with fixed assets such as plant and equipment, working capital is consi ...
.
Trade events
* Nantou Global Tea Expo ()
* The Aquaculture Taiwan Expo & Forum, the Livestock Taiwan Expo & Forum and the Asia Agri-Tech Expo & Forum are all held concurrently.
Organizations
![TienchungFarmersAssociation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/TienchungFarmersAssociation.JPG)
There are government-assisted farmer organizations around Taiwan which gives general assistance to farmers, such as supply, distribution, financial services etc. Farmer organizations in Taiwan consists of 302 farmers' associations, 40 fishermen's associations and 17 irrigation associations.
Politics
Taiwan has one agrarian political party, the
Taiwan Farmers' Party
The Taiwan Farmers' Party (TFP; ) is a minor party of Taiwan.
History
The party was established on 15 June 2007.
See also
* Elections in Taiwan
* List of political parties in Taiwan
This article lists the political parties in the Republic ...
, established on 15 June 2007. However, the party currently has no representative in the
Legislative Yuan
The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for 4-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a parallel v ...
.
Research
![Taiwan Sugar Research Institute D7324](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Taiwan_Sugar_Research_Institute_D7324.jpg)
There are 16 research institutes established under the COA aimed to the development and innovation of technologies in agriculture-related produce. In 2013, there are 123 agricultural
technology transfer
Technology transfer (TT), also called transfer of technology (TOT), is the process of transferring (disseminating) technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization, in an attempt to transform invent ...
s to the private sectors with
royalty payment
A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
of around NT$84 million.
Research centers
*
Kinmen Fisheries Research Institute
The Kinmen Fisheries Research Institute (KFRI; ) is a fish research center in Jincheng Township, Kinmen, Taiwan with the aim of protecting biodiversity, balance, sustainable resource management and development of life, production and ecology.
H ...
*
Taiwan Banana Research Institute
The Taiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI; ) specializes in the breeding of bananas and research about their cultivation and diseases. Bananas are Taiwan's most important export fruit.
History
The TBRI was founded in 1970 in response to the d ...
*
Taiwan Livestock Research Institute
The Taiwan Livestock Research Institute (TLRI; ) is a research center in Xinhua District, Tainan, Taiwan. It conducts research on animal breeding, physiology, nutrition and feeding techniques, animal waste treatment and utilization of byprod ...
*
Taiwan Sugar Research Institute
The Taiwan Sugar Research Institute (TSRI; ) is a sugar research center of Taiwan Sugar Corporation in East District, Tainan, Taiwan.
History
The research center was founded in 1901.
Facilities
The research center spread over 387 hectares of ...
*
Tea Research and Extension Station
The Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES; ) is the research and development center of Taiwan tea where scientists and tea masters conduct study, research and experiment to improve tea plantations, to develop new and better cultivars, to manuf ...
Technology
Spatial planning
Spatial planning
Spatial planning mediates between the respective claims on space of the state, market, and community. In so doing, three different mechanisms of involving stakeholders, integrating sectoral policies and promoting development projects mark the th ...
for agricultural farms in Taiwan is embedded into the Taiwan Agriculture Land Information Service () whose data is collected by
Formosat-2 earth observation satellite
An Earth observation satellite or Earth remote sensing satellite is a satellite used or designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, me ...
. Information of farmland availability,
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...
properties, cropping suitability,
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
infrastructures,
land use
Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods. Land use by humans has a long h ...
zoning, and
land consolidation
Land consolidation is a planned readjustment and rearrangement of fragmented land parcels and their ownership. It is usually applied to form larger and more rational land holdings. Land consolidation can be used to improve rural infrastructure and ...
are available for public access.
Security
![Paddy fields in Chishang Taitung](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Paddy_fields_in_Chishang_Taitung.jpg)
In 2020, the food self-sufficiency of Taiwan was 35%. President Tsai Ing-wen has stated that she hopes Taiwan's food self-sufficiency can be raised to 40% in the near term.
As of 2021 the nation's rice reserves were large enough to feed the country for 18 months with fruit and vegetable reserves of six months.
Energy usage
In 2014, agriculture sector consumed a total 2,832.9 GWh of electricity. Between 2000 and 2009, annual agricultural sector in Taiwan consumed 15.81 billion tons of water.
Tourism
![Evergreen grassland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Evergreen_grassland.jpg)
Over the past few years,
agritourism
Agritourism or agrotourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch.
Types
A 2018 article published in the ''Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development'' classified a ...
has become more and more popular in Taiwan. The government has built recreational areas around farms and fishing villages by integrating the produce, nature and festivals. In 2013, there are more than 75 recreation farming zones have been established and there are almost 317 recreational farms have been licensed. Food-related museums are also plenty in Taiwan.
Agritourism forms a significant part of the total revenue for the agricultural industry. Many small family farms rely on tourism as their primary means of earning an income. Leisure farms, farm tours, farm stays, and other tourism related activities are popular both with domestic Taiwanese travelers and with international ones. The Taiwanese Agritourism industry has received significant state support. In 2018
TreeHugger
''TreeHugger'' is a sustainability website that reports on news, and other subjects like eco-friendly design, homes, and gardens. It was rated the top sustainability blog of 2007 by Nielsen Netratings,
and was included in Time Magazine's 2009 ...
ranked Taiwan the #1
agritourism
Agritourism or agrotourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch.
Types
A 2018 article published in the ''Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development'' classified a ...
destination in the world.
Fruit tourism is a subsection of agritourism with fruit picking being the prime attraction. Taiwan's diverse subtropical climate means that there is always some sort of fruit in season. Fruit tourism is popular with both domestic and international tourists. The region of Pingtung in particular is a fruit tourism destination.
Farms
Erjie Rice Barn
The Erjie Rice Barn, also known as the Erjie Peasant Association Barn, () is a former barn in Wujie Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.
History
The Erjie Rice Barn was built in 1928, when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. In 1935, a large brick ...
,
Flying Cow Ranch,
Fushoushan Farm,
Fuxing Barn
The Fuxing Barn () is a former barn in Fuxing, Changhua, Fuxing Township, Changhua County, Taiwan.
History
The barn was built in 1928, during Taiwan under Japanese rule, Japanese rule in the 17th year of Mingkuo, by Fuxing Farmers' Association ...
,
Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields
The Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields () are salt ponds in Beimen District, Tainan, Taiwan.
History
Originally established in 1818 by salt farmers as the Laidong Salt Fields, the field is the oldest salt field in Taiwan. The site was original ...
,
Qingjing Farm
The Qingjing Farm (), also known as Cingjing Farm, is a tourist attraction farm in Ren'ai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan.
History
The farm was established on 20 February 1961 as the settling place for the demobilized soldiers and their depend ...
,
Rareseed Ranch
The Rareseed Ranch or Ruisui Ranch () is a tourist attraction ranch in Wuhe Village, Ruisui Township, Hualien County, Taiwan.
History
The ranch was originally a papaya farm. It was then later transformed into a ranch. Milk produced by cows in ...
,
Shangri-La Leisure Farm
The Shangri-La Leisure Farm () is a tourist attraction farm in Dajin Village, Dongshan Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.
History
The resort originated back from a simple fruit orchard.
Geology
The leisure farm is located about 250 meters above ...
,
Shanlong Vegetable Park
The Shanlong Vegetable Park () is an agricultural land in Nangan Township, Lienchiang County, Taiwan.
History
The park consists of several farmlands belong to several people. Due to the difficulty in making commercial development in the land d ...
,
Toucheng Leisure Farm
The Toucheng Leisure Farm () is a recreational farm in Toucheng Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.
History
The farm was established in 1979.
Architecture
The farm spreads over an area of 120 hectares. It features the main farmhouses and rice cul ...
,
Tsou Ma Lai Farm and
Wuling Farm
Wuling Farm () is a tourist attraction farm in Heping District, Taichung, Taiwan.
History
The farm was originally established in 1963 to provide employment for retired servicemen. At the beginning of the reclamation phase, the first director o ...
.
In 2021 as a result of the tourism downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Council of Agriculture announced subsidies for leisure farms.
Converted farmlands
Aogu Wetland
Aogu Wetland () is a wetland in Dongshi Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan.
History
The wetland used to be a main agricultural land of Taiwan Sugar Corporation for farming, fishing, husbandry and sugarcane plantation. However, due to the continui ...
and
Chukou Nature Center.
Museums
Chihsing Tan Katsuo Museum
The Chihsing Tan Katsuo Museum () is a museum in Dahan Village, Xincheng Township, Hualien County, Taiwan. The museum is close to Qixingtan Beach and is dedicated to dried bonito fish (katsuobushi).
History
The museum was once a Japanese Katsu ...
,
Coca-Cola Museum
The Coca-Cola Museum () is a museum about the drink Coca-Cola, located on the Gueishan Industrial Park in Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
The facility is run by Swire Group, which has an adjacent Coca-Cola bottling plant. The museum bu ...
,
Honey Museum
The Honey Museum () is a museum about honey and bees in Gukeng Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan.
Architecture
The entrance to the museum is through a green tunnel with a giant bee model above it. The museum has a large field area for children to ...
,
Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry
The Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry () is a pastry culture and making museum in Taiwan.
The museum has two branches in Taiwan, one in Shilin District, Taipei and another in Yangmei District, Taoyuan City.
History
In 1708, ancestor of Kuo ...
,
Ping Huang Coffee Museum
The Ping Huang Coffee Museum () is a museum about coffee in Taibao City, Chiayi County, Taiwan.
Architecture
The museum spreads over two floors. The ground floor consists of the coffee knowledge area, Golden Mandeling avenue, tasting area and ...
,
Ping-Lin Tea Museum
The Ping-Lin Tea Museum (), also spelled Pinglin Tea Museum, is a museum located in the hills of Pinglin District, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is one of the world's largest tea museums.
Ping-Lin is renowned for producing Pouchong tea. The picking of ...
,
Soya-Mixed Meat Museum
The Soya-Mixed Meat Museum () is a food museum in Benjhou Industrial Park, Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Exhibitions
The museum offers detailed information to the history and culture of marinated food, sea food and agriculture produces ...
,
Soy Sauce Brewing Museum
The Soy Sauce Brewing Museum () is a museum in Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.
Transportation
The museum is accessible south east from Shiliu Station of Taiwan Railways.
See also
* List of museums in Taiwan
This is a list of museums in ...
,
Spring Onion Culture Museum
Spring Onion Culture Museum () is a museum located in Sanxing Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.
History
The museum was opened in 2005.
Architecture
The museum is housed in a facility used as a rice-storage building during the Japanese rule.
A ...
,
Taiwan Mochi Museum
The Taiwan Mochi Museum () is a museum about mochi (rice cake) in Nantou City, Nantou County, Taiwan.
History
The museum was established in 2011. In 2012, it won the championship of the 2012 Most Famous Tourist Factory in Taiwan.
Architecture
...
,
Taiwan Nougat Museum,
Taiwan Salt Museum
The Taiwan Salt Museum () is a museum about salt in Cigu District, Tainan, Taiwan.
History
The salt mountain was once the largest sea salt field in Taiwan supplying the domestic demand. Due to the declining demand, the salt field ceased product ...
,
Taiwan Sugar Museum,
Teng Feng Fish Ball Museum
The Teng Feng Fish Ball Museum () is a food museum about fish balls in Tamsui District, New Taipei, Taiwan.
History
The museum was established in 2004.
Architecture
The museum building is divided into two exhibition halls. The first exhibition ...
,
Wu Tao Chishang Lunch Box Cultural History Museum
The Wu Tao Chishang Lunch Box Cultural History Museum () is a museum about lunch boxes in Chishang Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. The museum also serves as a restaurant.
History
The museum was opened in 2002 by Chishang Township Office and ...
,
Yilan Distillery Chia Chi Lan Wine Museum
The Yilan Distillery Chia Chi Lan Liquor Museum () or Chia Chi Lan Liquor Museum is a museum about wine in Yilan City, Yilan County, Taiwan.
History
The museum building was originally built in 1935.
Architecture
The museum building is a two- ...
,
Republic of Chocolate
The Republic of Chocolate () or Hungya Chocolate Museum is a museum about chocolate in Bade District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
History
The museum was established in 1978.
Architecture
The museum was built with a shape of chocolate of a 20-story b ...
, and
Zhuzihu Ponlai Rice Foundation Seed Field Story House
The Zhuzihu Ponlai Rice Foundation Seed Field Story House () is a historic building in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building is located within Yangmingshan National Park.
History
Empire of Japan
The area where the building stands used to ...
.
See also
*
Beer in Taiwan
Beer in Taiwan was dominated by monopoly products until 2002, when free trade became law in Taiwan. The main domestic brand remains Taiwan Beer, brewed by the publicly owned Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation that succeeded the government's mo ...
*
Geography of Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territori ...
*
Taiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine (, Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄌㄧㄠˋㄌㄧˇ, or , Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄘㄞˋ) has several variations. The earliest known cuisines of Taiwan are that of the Taiwanese indigenous peoples. Over hundred years of histor ...
*
Taiwanese whisky
Taiwanese whisky is whisky made in Taiwan. The most prominent Taiwanese whisky producer is the Kavalan Distillery. In 2015 the Kavalan Soloist Vinho Barrique was named the best single malt whisky in the world at the World Whiskies Awards. A signif ...
*
Forestry in Taiwan Forestry in Taiwan was historically a significant industry. The logging of most of Taiwan's old growth forest has led to the sunset of the industry with remaining stands protected by law. Illegal logging remains a significant threat, especially to t ...
References
External links
{{Economy of Taiwan
History of Taiwan
Horticulture in Taiwan