Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) has invested in a project to produce Japanese-style beef using Taiwanese cattle through experimental breeding techniques.
Lee, who has a doctorate in agricultural economics, said he is working with a biotechnology firm to raise 20 head of cattle on land rented from Shin Kong Chao Feng Ranch and Resort in Hualien County.
Lee said he hopes that the efforts will make domestic farming of “wagyu” possible within three years.
Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Taipei Times
“I hope Taiwanese will have the chance to eat wagyu without importing it from Japan,” Lee said.
Lee and Lee Teng-hui Foundation secretary-general Wang Yan-chun (王燕軍) on Saturday went to the Hualien farm, spending one-and-a-half hours inspecting the cattle and their living conditions, diet and environment.
The foundation said Lee came up with the idea to breed wagyu after a trip to Japan’s Ishigaki Island in August last year, during which he was impressed by the quality of beef and resolved to produce Taiwanese beef of similar quality.
The foundation rented space from the ranch in September last year and established a research facility for studying breeding techniques.
Wang joined the facility as a researcher, while Japanese agricultural specialist Satoshi Nakamura was hired to assist with rearing the cattle.
The facility said it is raising cattle brought from Qingtiangang (擎天崗) ranch in Yangmingshan National Park, adding that it has hired agricultural professionals and ranch staff to take part in the project.
Ranch manager Chen Tai-ming (陳泰明) said the cattle were underweight when they were brought to Hualien, adding that the ranch’s focus is on fattening them up.
Chen said if breeding programs are successful the ranch might consider investing in breeding the cattle.
Lee said the project has invigorated him and the trip to the ranch was his second since he launched the project.
Chen said he felt fortunate Lee chose his ranch to host the breeding program.
Lee said he had visited the ranch as an agricultural specialist when he was much younger, adding that the land around the ranch was much less developed then.
At that time large stones were removed one at a time to develop the land, Lee said, adding that he has a special attachment to the land stemming from his involvement in clearing rocks in those years.
The coast guard on Friday took a Chinese fishing boat and the 17 people on board into custody, after it rammed into a patrol boat while attempting to flee. A 100-tonne coast guard vessel at about 8am discovered a Chinese fishing boat illegally operating in waters about 11 nautical miles (20.4km) northwest of Hsinchu, the Hsinchu offshore flotilla of the Coast Guard Administration said. The crew refused to allow law enforcement to board the ship and attempted to flee, it added. The coast guard vessel and another ship chased the fishing boat for about a half hour, during which time the Chinese boat
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said that Beijing was trying to “annex” Taiwan, while China said its recent series of drills near Taiwan are aimed at combating the “arrogance” of separatist forces. The Ministry of National Defense earlier this month said that it had observed dozens of Chinese fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships and the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, operating nearby. The increased frequency of China’s military activities has raised the risk of events “getting out of hand” and sparking an accidental clash, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said last week. Asked about the spurt
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Monday said he would not attend the official Double Ten National Day celebrations for the first time this year, as its English name, “Taiwan National Day,” implies “Taiwan independence.” Writing on Facebook, Ma said he has attended every National Day celebration since entering public service 40 years ago, but “with an exceedingly heavy heart,” has decided to reject this year’s invitation. For the past three years, the government under President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has used “Taiwan National Day” for the event’s official English-language title, leaving the “Republic of China” nowhere to be found, he said. The move
RUNWAY UPGRADES: Airports and ports mainly scattered around southwestern Japan are being given major overhauls, primarily serving as civilian-use facilities Japan has chosen 33 airports and ports as candidates for improvement to enhance military capabilities, with a particular focus on infrastructure that could be utilized in a Taiwan emergency, according to a recent report in Japan’s Nikkei Shimbun. Citing the Japanese government’s fiscal budget proposal for next year, the newspaper said Toyko is to name some facilities as essential bases and receive funding for upgrades in line with the revamped national security strategy published last year. According to an unofficial policy document drafted last month and reviewed by the Nikkei, the Japanese government designated 14 airports and 19 ports for improvement, including
RSS