TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Agriculture has urged farmers to shift from rice cultivation to other crops to ease the country’s rice overproduction, CNA reported.
The ministry said that Taiwan’s rice consumption has dropped by more than 50% compared with 40 years ago, mainly due to changes in eating habits. To protect farmers’ incomes, the government has long purchased rice at stable prices, leading to excessive purchases and large stockpiles.
To tackle the annual domestic rice surplus of 200,000 tonnes and reduce stockpiles, the ministry has launched measures to shorten rice cultivation periods and encourage farmers to switch to other crops. The initiative has helped increase production of corn, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and sorghum.
On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) visited a sweet potato processing park in Yunlin. Companies like KK Orchard are using certified production tracking and cold-chain technology to maintain a steady supply of Tainung No. 57 and 66 sweet potatoes.
The park includes farmland for sweet potato cultivation and produces processed products, with an annual output of around 7,200 tonnes. Its sweet potato fries have been exported to East Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.
Su Chia-yi (蘇嘉益), director of the processing division at the park, said that nearly half of Taiwan’s sweet potatoes come from Yunlin. The park has partnered with the county’s key sweet potato processors to strengthen its presence in the market.
More Taiwanese are choosing sweet potatoes over rice, the Agriculture and Food Agency said. Domestic annual demand for sweet potatoes is 230,000 tonnes, while domestic production is about 218,000 tonnes. Last year, Taiwan imported 2,142 tonnes of sweet potatoes, mainly from Vietnam and Japan, up nearly 1,900 tonnes compared with 2011.
Last year, Taiwan shifted 2,905 hectares to crops other than rice, with sweet potatoes taking up 239 hectares, behind only soybeans and buckwheat. The ministry has also supported farmers to form alliances to increase production and create processed products.
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