After changing from betel nuts, 63-year-old farmer Chu Kuo-hsing (朱國興) now grows nationally renowned persimmons, acclaimed for their size and sweetness, at his farm in Taichung’s Heping District (和平).
Chu said he uses low amounts of planticides and fertilizers on his fruit trees, but his persimmons are both sweeter and bigger than the average fruit.
He said his secret is technical assistance from National Chung Hsing University agriculture and natural resources professor Tsay Tsung-tsuan (蔡東纂), who was introduced to Chu by the farmer’s elder brother.
Photo: Lee Chung-hsien, Taipei Times
Prior to becoming a successful persimmon farmer, Chu said he grew bamboo shoots and betel nuts with his parents near Taichung’s Dakeng (大坑) area and that he was a leading betel-nut farmer.
Chu said that a decade ago, he began to sense a contraction in the betel-nut market and decided to transition to persimmon farming.
Chu said he bought three jia (甲) of land (11.77 hectares) and started growing fruit trees right away, but with initially discouraging results.
In spite of spending more than NT$1 million (US$30,714) on fertilizer and weed killer each year, his fruits were “about the size of an egg,” Chu said, adding that his fruit became the butt of jokes in the farmer’s market where his persimmons were derided as “Chu’s little ones.”
Chu said he went to Tsay desperate for help, and the agriculturalist told him that he should drastically reduce his use of chemicals.
Chu reduced his fertilizer use by 90 percent and his persimmons became some of the best on the market, Chu said.
Chu’s persimmons measure 20 on the Brix sweetness scale and weigh between 9 and 15 liang (兩, a traditional unit of weight based on a lump of silver, the equivalent of about 37.5 grams), with the biggest fruits weighing up to 18 liang. The average persimmon on the market weighs between 6 and 9 liang.
Chu said that he sells 60 percent of his produce direct, and does not use retail venues. His fruit has no pesticide or weed killer residue and are sold for between NT$200 and NT$300, Chu said, adding that he is expecting a substantial rise in the market price of persimmons this year.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS