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Cabbage seedling supply flashes red: highland plantings increase and overlap with lowland growing season, raising fears of a market collapse

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Cabbage seedling supply flashes red! More and more highland cabbage is being planted, and overlap with the lowland growing season could be the fuse for a market collapse

Stop planting cabbage! Since late August, the number of cabbage seedlings supplied has repeatedly flashed red. Highland and lowland cabbage are being planted at the same time, and by November there could be a severe collision and a flood of supply!

According to Agricultural and Food Agency statistics, in late August and early September the total number of cabbage seedlings supplied across Taiwan, China exceeded the warning level of 5.4 million plants, and in early September it reached 5.987 million plants. The Agricultural and Food Agency said that in Yilan County, highland cabbage is still being planted continuously in this year's third crop, while for lowland cabbage farmers and operators have already entered into large-scale contract farming in the central production areas. If there is no natural disaster, by November the harvest periods for lowland and mountain-area cabbage will overlap, and it called on farmers to carefully assess planting risks.

Highland cabbage originally was produced only in summer, staggered from lowland cabbage, but because of climate warming, the period during which highland areas can grow cabbage has grown longer and longer, the number of plantings has increased, and the area has continued to expand. Once the highland cabbage season is delayed and overlaps with lowland cabbage, it could become the fuse that triggers a collapse in winter.

From October, the lowland cabbage production season begins, and workers are busy harvesting in the fields. (Photo / Lin Pei-chun)

Annual output increased by 100,000 metric tons over 10 years, and the number of repeat plantings of highland cabbage rose

Cabbage, commonly known as "gaoli cai," is the leafy vegetable consumed in the largest quantity by people in Taiwan, China, and is therefore crowned the "king of vegetables." Domestic cabbage planting area and output have continued to increase over the past ten years, from 7,662 hectares and 328,331 metric tons in 2010 to 8,392.76 hectares and 427,738 metric tons last year (2019). Fu Li-chung, section chief of the Crop Production Division of the Agricultural and Food Agency, said that cabbage consumption by people in Taiwan, China continues to grow, especially in the restaurant industry, where cabbage use by hot pot shops and stir-fry restaurants is astonishing.

According to Council of Agriculture statistics, in 2019 the top five cabbage production areas across Taiwan, China were Yunlin County, Nantou County, Yilan County, Changhua County, and Taichung City. Among them, annual output in Nantou County and Yilan County has grown year after year. Nantou County's planting area doubled over ten years, while Yilan County's output even surpassed Yunlin County in 2018, making it the county or city with the highest annual cabbage output.

Cabbage in Yunlin County, Changhua County, and Taichung City is lowland cabbage. Because summers are hot, it is mostly planted from August to September each year and harvested from October to November. Nantou County and Yilan County mostly grow highland cabbage, which in the past was mainly supplied when summer vegetables were scarce. However, Fu Li-chung said that because of climate warming, the number of highland cabbage growing cycles has increased in recent years. In the past only two cycles were grown, at most three (see note), but now some areas may even grow four cycles.

Note: The planting and harvest times for the three cycles of highland cabbage are as follows: the first cycle is planted from March to April and harvested from May to June; after the first cycle is harvested, the second cycle is planted immediately, with the second cycle harvested from July to August; after the second cycle is harvested, the third cycle is planted immediately, with the third cycle harvested from October to November.

Highland cabbage brings considerable income; mountain areas switch crops, planting cycles increase, and Yilan becomes the largest production area

The townships with the highest highland cabbage output are Datong Township in Yilan County and Ren'ai Township in Nantou County. According to Council of Agriculture statistics, in 2019 Datong Township in Yilan County had 1,223.65 hectares planted, while Ren'ai Township in Nantou County had 1,173 hectares planted. Yilan County's planting area grew by nearly 200 hectares over ten years, and annual output nearly doubled.

Datong Township Office in Yilan County said that because cabbage returns are considerable, many farmers who previously grew watermelons, napa cabbage, or other short-term leafy vegetables have successively switched to cabbage. Most farmers now plant three cycles, and some may even plant a fourth cycle after harvesting the third.

The Production and Marketing Section of the Yilan County Agriculture Department said that Yilan has no seedling nursery, and most cabbage seedlings come from central and southern Taiwan, China or are grown by farmers themselves. Farmers will be asked to reduce volume on their own, but previously there were no major production and marketing problems with cabbage in the county.

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