The government's recent call to chop down illegal betel-nut palms, in the wake of the damage caused by mudslides precipitated by Typhoon Toraji, might be missing the mark, agricultural scholars and individuals who are involved in the lucrative trade say.
"There is always a rush to blame betel-nut palms and farmers after mudslides, but visits by scholars and officials to the affected areas are nothing more than sightseeing tours," said Wu Pei-ying (吳佩瑛), professor of agricultural economics at National Taiwan University.
Wu, who has worked with the government on afforestation projects, said that based on the available evidence it is difficult to come up with a "full picture of the causes of mudslides from any available information.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Officials fail to collect comprehensive data for analysis to determine whether betel-nut palms are the leading cause of mudslides in regions with different environmental features," she said.
"It's unfair to decide the planting of betel-nut palms is the major cause of mudslides without any comprehensive analysis," she said.
Ueng Ing-ching (
PHOTO: TSAI CHANG-SHENG, TAIPEI TIMES
Luku was also hit with damage from mudslides in the wake of Typhoon Toraji.
Taking care of business
The government agencies responsible for betel-nut palms are the Council of Agriculture's Forestry Bureau and the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau.
The primary reason why betel-nut palms are illegal on national forestry land is that, since the trees do not help erosion management, they violate the users' lease with the government, explained Lee Tao-sheng (
Moreover, growing betel-nut palms on land that should be used for forestry is against laws governing water and soil conservation.
The Forestry Bureau did not seriously address the problem until 1987, when it asserted that growing betel-nut palms on national forestry land violated farmers' leases with the government. Additionally, it did not begin strategic management of the problem until 1997, when it granted subsidies to farmers who participated in the bureau's project to replace betel-nut palms with trees for soil and water conservation on national land.
Yet, Wu said, the government should have given betel-nut palms a clear categorization much earlier. "Then the government could have dealt with improper planting at the very beginning."
"But the government simply let the growing of betel-nut palms get out of hand," she said.
Lin Jiann-jang (林建章), deputy director-general of the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, refuted Wu's criticism, saying that there have been crackdowns on betel-nut palms illegally planted on sloping land for about two decades.
"But the crackdowns have been ineffective."
Lin said that because local governments are responsible for carrying out the crackdowns on illegal planting, politics often impedes progress.
"Public representatives have to win support from their constituents," he said.
The Soil and Water Conservation Bureau did not begin a similar afforestation project until last year.
Strategies
Tien Chih-cheng (
However, the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau's reforestation project faces more challenges.
"Only about 17 percent of the hillside land used to grow betel-nut palms is now planted with trees which are advantageous for conservation purposes," said Lin.
National subsidies for afforestation projects stipulate that farmers earn NT$100,000 for each hectare of forest cultivation during the project's first year. On average, about 2,000 palms can be planted on such an area of land, Lee said.
Over the next five years they earn NT$30,000 each year for continuing such a scale of reforestation. For 20 more years, the farmers receive NT$20,000 in annual subsidies. Those who rent national forestry land rather than owning private land receive only NT$10,000 a year during the last stage of reforestation.
A lucrative trade
While the annual revenue created by the betel-nut industry is unknown, some estimates put its value as high as NT$950 million a year.
Although betel-nut merchants and vendors are required to pay taxes, there are no official statistics on the industry, which has existed for two decades.
The government's failure to seriously address the business has long disturbed many betel-nut sellers. They said they wish the government would establish certain principles for the trade.
"We would follow any regulations for the management of the industry, but the government never really looks into issues related to betel nut," said one betel-nut seller.
There are reportedly some 100,000 betel-nut stores across the island, some of which are chain stores. Betel-nut companies -- not unlike 7-11 or McDonald's -- have brand names which include Tao-tsaojen (稻草人), Shuangtzuhsing (雙子星) and A-Chiou (阿秋) which work to build brand loyalty and give consumers the same taste regardless of where the betel nut is purchased.
According to employees of the Gold Sun betel-nut store, some individuals spend at least NT$500 on betel nut every day. Most of those who chew the nut are construction workers, truck drivers and other blue collar workers who rely on the stimulant to work long hours.
One seller in Taipei County's Wuku township, who wished to remain anonymous, said his business, which is open 24 hours a day, can make between NT$500,000 to NT$600,000 a month. He added that he believes the government is shirking its responsibility.
"Instead of simply vowing to wipe out betel-nut palms, the government should help those involved in the industry find other occupations," he said.
But making the shift from such a lucrative trade will not be easy for some.
However, as the economy continues to decline, some sellers said now might be the best time to leave the industry.
The owner of the popular brand A-Chiou, who only gave his surname, Fu, said he has gone out of business. Before the 921 earthquake, Fu said he had about 3,000 chain stores around Taiwan. He said that after the earthquake, the whole industry collapsed and chain stores could barely survive.
Chung Chen-tung (鍾震東), a professor at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology agreed, saying that the government needs to do more than just let the public know that chewing betel nut causes oral cancer.
"The industry's existence should be decided by the market. The government should not just blame everything on betel nut when disasters happen. And there should be regulations to manage these betel-nut sellers. If the government doesn't like betel-nut girls, then they should not give those betel-nut sellers [who employ betel-nut girls] licenses. The government can't pretend that the industry doesn't exist," Chung said.
Change is hard
Chen Kun-tse (
Luku began to grow tea in the 1960s because it had a higher economic value than other crops, such as rice and fruits.
But, starting in the 1970s, Taiwanese tea farmers began to look to other countries for cheaper labor and many subsequently moved their tea plantations -- and their knowledge -- to China. Today, imported Chinese tea has overwhelmed locally produced tea with its lower prices.
The tea exodus pushed farmers to betel-nut cultivation, which proved to be an easy way to make money because the palms require little maintenance once the seeds are planted.
"The government will suffer from farmers' riots if it really destroys the betel-nut palms island-wide,"Chen said.
Boala Madulaeyan, a Bunun Aboriginal in her fifties was also looking to the government for help.
"I hope that the government will somehow take care of my four grandchildren," she said. Holding a toddler in her very thin arms and surrounded by three other children, the tiny woman looks worn, at least ten years older than her actual age.
Boala lives in Nantou's Dili (
Boala's life has been marked by hardship.
Her 65-year-old husband Tsai Chao-kai (
School is scheduled to start in a month, but Boala has no idea how she will pay the tuition for her grandchildren.
"The kids even had to rely on donations for clothes as our house was destroyed by mudslides," she said.
"I support the family with a little income from selling a small amount of betel nut," Boala muttered when hearing the news that the government is considering eradicating the palms.
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