Warm weather in the past two months led lilies in Greater Taichung to bloom one month earlier than scheduled, Greater Taichung’s Agriculture Bureau said yesterday, adding that it is taking efforts to promote the sales of lilies and stabilize the market price.
Lily plantations in Greater Taichung total about 75 hectares, producing about 15 million lily stems each year, mainly from Sinshe (新社) and Houli (后里) districts.
EARLY GROWTH
The bureau said lilies grown in Greater Taichung were scheduled to bloom before the Lunar New Year holiday — which begins on Jan. 23 this year — but the flowers have begun to bloom because of the relatively warm winter, leading to an excess supply of lilies.
The market price has dropped to between NT$35 and NT$45 for a bundle, which is lower than the usual cost of about NT$100, it added.
HELPING OUT
The bureau has bought 2,000 bundles, or about 10,000 lily stems, from farmers in Houli, bureau Director Tsai Ching-chiang (蔡精強) said, adding that aside from giving them out to various government agencies, the flowers would be exhibited in the lobby of Taichung New City Hall.
The bureau said it is also planning to assist the farmers by selling the lilies to Japan, Singapore and other countries.
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