The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday announced amendments to regulations that would restrict the export of peanut seeds to prevent the outflow of valuable varieties.
In the proposed amendments to the Enforcement Rules for the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act (植物品種及種苗法施行細則), exports of peanuts and their seeds would be restricted to legally ensure local peanut growers’ benefits.
Taiwan’s peanuts are cultivated mainly in Yunlin and Changhua counties, 70 percent of which are used for food processing.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry data showed that the planting areas amounted to 19,000 hectares nationwide in 2020.
That figure dropped to 17,000 hectares in 2024 and 15,000 hectares last year due to a shortage of workers, the ministry said.
Taiwan has a competitive edge in the international coarse grain market thanks to its advanced peanut cultivation research, it said.
The Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, and local agricultural research and extension stations have developed several peanut cultivars that are popular, it said.
For example, Tainan No. 14 peanuts are high-yielding with a rich flavor, while Black King Kong peanuts contain abundant anthocyanidins and have a distinctive taste, the ministry said.
With further technical breakthroughs, the Tainung No. 11 and Tainan No. 20 peanuts have also been developed, it said.
Both Tainung No. 11 and Tainan No. 20 are high-oleic peanut varieties, making them more shelf-stable with much better antioxidant properties, the ministry said.
They are at the heart of the brand equity of Taiwan-grown peanuts and must be strictly protected via legislation, it said.
The amendments would help to prevent Taiwan’s peanut cultivation techniques and elite varieties from being improperly transferred abroad, the ministry said.
The ministry would continue to promote contract farming, and bolster peanut processing and drying facilities jointly with peanut growers and farmers’ groups, it said.
Regulating the export of peanut seeds can safeguard the uniqueness of domestically grown peanuts and retain the research benefits for local peanut growers, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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