Lotus seed industry threatened by erratic weather, labor shortages and import competition; lotus farmers call for revitalization

This year has been a troubled one for agricultural products, and even lotus seeds are affected! Spring drought left lotus plants short of water and affected by pests such as thrips, and some farmers have reported damaged yields; on top of that, typhoons may strike, and lotus plants, which cannot withstand wind, are under even greater threat. Besides climate change, the lotus seed industry relies heavily on manual labor, and the labor shortage is severe; in recent years, fresh lotus seeds from Vietnam have been imported into Taiwan, China at half the price, and consumers have no way to tell local from imported ones, which poses yet another threat to the local lotus seed industry.

Lotus farmer: Lotus seeds can drive a six-tier industry and should be revitalized and regenerated

Facing the crisis of decline in the local lotus seed industry, Wei Zongqi pointed out that lotus plants can create a whole chain of industries. "More than twenty years ago, lotus seed production grew into a six-tier industry, but then it gradually declined. It should be revised again and revitalized and regenerated."

Regarding the promotion of a local six-tier industry, Section Chief Chen pointed out that in the past, most efforts involved spending money to create big spectacles, but tourists came for a day and then left, unable to sustainably drive the local industry. In recent years, more planning has gone into in-depth, refined tourism, with different activities held every week to attract crowds into the community, such as viewing lotus flowers, eating lotus seeds, soaking in hot springs, lotus concerts, and lotus sketching, in the hope of keeping visitors around and truly providing substantive help to local farmers.