The Ministry of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Agency yesterday said that it plans to expand the number of greenhouses and screen houses dedicated to fruit cultivation nationwide, to support farmers affected by extreme weather conditions.
The nation’s fruit prices have surged more sharply than usual this year, due to typhoons last year and cold fronts earlier this year, the agency said.
Past efforts to promote greenhouse and screen house cultivation for fruit production have had limited success due to high costs — often exceeding NT$1.2 million (US$39,969) per fen (969.91m2) of land — low incentives for farmers to grow climate-resilient fruits and the long maturation period required before fruit trees yield economic returns, it said.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
To better support fruit farmers, the agency is increasing subsidy amounts and lifting restrictions on the types of fruits eligible for support, Deputy Director-General of the Agriculture and Food Agency Chen Chi-jung (陳啟榮) said.
Subsidies would be raised by 50 percent for farms in western Taiwan, 60 percent in eastern Taiwan and 65 percent for farms on indigenous lands or outlying islands, he said, adding that the agency is offering low-interest agricultural loans to ease farmers’ financial burdens.
Citing data from the Taipei Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market, the agency said that prices for pineapples, guavas and bananas have risen 30 percent compared with the same period last year, amid a decline in supply.
Chen said that most fruits have one or two harvests per year, but the inclement weather over the past year has disrupted this cycle, resulting in decreased pollination for mangoes and only 30 to 40 percent of the normal yield.
Pears and pineapples have also experienced a 10 percent drop in yield, while the market entry of lemons is expected to be delayed this year, he said.
The decrease in supply would possibly affect prices, he said.
To mitigate the impact, the ministry is redirecting portions of the fruit harvest for processing into products such as wine and other value-added goods, Chen said.
It is also expanding cold-chain logistics to preserve fruit quality and reduce post-harvest losses, Chen said, adding that the agency is promoting fruit exports via contract farming.
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