Up to 50,000 seedlings of the “red nine” (紅九) variety of the awkeotsang creeping fig have been successfully planted in areas at low altitudes across 30 hectares, the Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation’s Taipei branch said on Friday amid a push to promote aiyu jelly products.
The fig, from which aiyu is made, is endemic to Taiwan, typically growing in mountainous areas at altitudes below 1,500m, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
Aiyu seeds are rubbed in water to produce pectin, which binds with minerals in the water to form aiyu jelly, a popular refreshment, the ministry said.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
Planting aiyu in low-lying areas used to be difficult, as it is only pollinated by the fig wasp, or Wiebesia pumilae, it said.
However, with new techniques and varieties, the agency has been promoting cultivation of the figs in low-lying areas by assisting agricultural workers with seed selection, cultivation, harvesting, processing and marketing, it said.
Taipei branch Director-General Tsai Chin-lung (蔡金龍) said that 565 hectares of the figs in Taiwan provide an annual output of 616 tonnes of the fruit.
Chiayi County is the primary production region, while Nantou and Pingtung counties contribute most of the remainder, Tsai said.
There are more than 200 varieties of aiyu-producing fig in Taiwan, he said.
As part of the Taipei branch’s efforts to promote cultivation of the fruit in low-lying areas, it has been assisting growers to use vacant land in rural communities to grow them since 2017, he said.
Unlike grass jelly or agar jelly, aiyu jelly is solid at room temperature without having to be mixed with other materials, he said.
The branch is focused on promoting the red nine variety because it was selected by the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, and it has production and quality advantages over other varieties, he said.
To help market the jelly, the branch collaborated with industry players to develop more aiyu products, including food and biotech products, Tsai said.
It also cooperated with orchard operators and department stores to organize aiyu jelly activities, he added.
Asked whether promoting cultivation of the figs would affect the planting areas of other crops, Tsai said the ministry continually calibrates allocation of agricultural resources by reducing cultivation of excessively produced crops and prioritizing vacant farmland.
The figs are endemic to Taiwan and are rarely grown elsewhere, making it a popular choice for agricultural operations when they want to switch from growing one crop to another in a field, he said.
However, it takes the seedlings three years to mature enough to be harvested and another two years to develop stable production, Tsai said, adding that the time factor might deter some growers.
High-quality aiyu seeds can sell for up to NT$1,200 per jin (600g), he said.
The branch also collaborated with industry players to explore different ways of exporting aiyu seeds, he said.
For example, an overseas online influencer placed an order of 2,000 bags of seeds in an agreement with Chyuan Fa Honey Co on a live commerce collaboration model, he said.
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