Taiwan Wheat, Long Time No See: A Special Feature Tour Reintroduces It to You

Text/ News&Market Jiang Huixian Photography/ Guo Zhirong

Taiwan wheat, long time no see!

In recent years, through the cooperation of Shi Zongjian of Hiyuan Bakery and dedicated farming friends, golden waves of wheat have reappeared in Taiwan's rural landscape!

The trajectory of time extends back several decades… Once, wheat fields in Taiwan were a shared memory of the grandfather and grandmother generation. But after experiencing various changes such as agriculture supporting industry and farmland being left fallow, the cultivation of Taiwan wheat and miscellaneous grains gradually declined and disappeared, until it eventually relied almost entirely on imports.

In 2008, due to the impact of climate change and drought leading to crop failures, combined with market speculation and high oil prices, global grain prices soared dramatically, and international wheat prices remained high. For the first time, we became acutely aware of the "food crisis" in which "money might not even buy you food."

And this global food crisis was precisely the opportunity for the revival of Taiwan's native wheat.

Wheat is drought-resistant and has a higher adaptability to arid or water-scarce environments; in Taiwan, wheat can be sown in winter after the second rice crop is harvested, without affecting rice farmers' harvests; fallow farmland can be actively encouraged to be recultivated with wheat, revitalizing the vitality of rural areas … Today, as "food autonomy" has risen to become a topic of shared international concern, the revival of native wheat is both a challenge and an opportunity.

However, how can the wheat-field skills that were interrupted for several decades be recovered?

From variety selection and breeding, planting techniques, and field management on the production side, to equipment and the techniques of milling, flour making, and flour blending on the processing side, and then to distribution channels, promotion, and marketing on the consumer side, every link is a major challenge for the farmers involved.

News&Market's self-produced special feature "Taiwan Wheat, Long Time No See!" launched a series of articles over three consecutive days starting September 7, interviewing the important driving forces behind this wave of wheat revolution. It is their attitude and persistence that have opened up a new wheat-field culture:

Shi Zongjian's "Hiyuan Wheat Republic," after four years of effort, launched contract farming of wheat around the island. From production to processing to sales, it kept breaking through bottlenecks, and farming friends gained greater confidence to invest in wheat production.

Ten rice farmers in Yuanli, Miaoli, whose ages add up to more than 500 years, nevertheless joined together with incomparable determination and perseverance in a "wheat platform" revolution. Their persistence comes from their belief that Taiwan really has a chance to grow good wheat and replace imports year by year.

Of course, the wheat enterprise cannot rely on conviction alone; it must also "have seed"! To rediscover wheat seeds suited to Taiwan's soil and climate, the agricultural technicians working on breeding and improvement are the most important driving force behind the scenes.

Taiwan's wheat needs practice. From the production side to the consumer side, from spiritual encouragement to practical support, everyone needs to lend a hand. Let us come together to the front lines of Taiwan wheat and listen to the stories of farming friends and wheat fields.

Taiwan Wheat, Action!

Feature Six: Wheat Does Magic: Hanhan's Grandma's Family-Recipe Pan-Fried Buns

Through a report by News&Market, Hanhan's mother learned that wheat could surprisingly be grown even in hot Taiwan. Based on the ideas of reducing food miles and supporting local farmers, she ordered "White Dolphin Brand" all-purpose flour from Hiyuan Bakery to try making pan-fried buns and toast. The result showed that the quality of flour milled from Taiwan wheat was no inferior to imported flour. The future of Taiwan wheat is worth looking forward to.

Feature Five: Don't Come Again! The Wandering of Taiwan Wheat in This World

Wheat cultivation in Taiwan once flourished for twenty years, then almost vanished, yet Taiwan's demand for wheat has climbed year after year with changes in dietary habits. Shi Minghuang, general manager of Hiyuan Bakery, has long used flour to make bread and knows well the price and quality of flour. He kept thinking: why is it that Taiwan needs wheat so much, yet cannot produce it itself? Since 2007, he has promoted the revival of native wheat, considering wheat not only in terms of price in international trade but also from the perspective of rural production, looking at the rural value of wheat production.

Feature Four: Good Bread Missionary Lin Qiongshu: Cheering for Native Wheat

Lin Qiongshu, head of the "Le Gout" bakery, has traveled to Japan many times for study and observation. By emphasizing the quality of flour and ingredients and solid baking craft, the shop quickly became a topic-making famous store in Taipei. As an expert familiar with the upstream and downstream operations of Taiwan's flour industry, how does Lin Qiongshu view the current situation and development of Taiwan wheat?

Feature Three: Wheat, Have Seed! The Breeding Program of the Taichung Agricultural Research and Extension Station

After an interruption of nearly 20 years, central Taiwan's important agricultural research center, the Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, has restarted Taiwan wheat breeding with the "MY Wheat Action." As the name suggests, MY Wheat Action is about breeding native varieties suited to Taiwan's farmland soil, climate, and farmers' cultivation habits, effectively resisting pests and diseases, while achieving yields and quality comparable to imported wheat, and building Taiwan's capacity for independent wheat production. (Photo: Wheat flowering, provided by Lin Xunshi)

Feature Two: Everyone Lend a Hand: The Road to Reviving Taiwan Wheat

Did you know? Taiwan once grew wheat, but it was interrupted for several decades. In recent years, through the efforts of Shi Minghuang of Hiyuan Bakery and a group of dedicated farming friends, Taiwan began the revival of native wheat. Whether in upfront variety selection, field management, and subsequent processing and distribution, the farmers' skills and market response have been repeatedly tested. Their persistence comes from the belief that growing wheat in Taiwan has a future! Wheat is better able to adapt to drought under climate change and can also alleviate the problem of complete dependence on imports, so farming friends overcame all difficulties and walked together on the road to reviving Taiwan wheat.

Feature One: Uncle Wheat Stands Up! Miaoli Rice Farmers Launch a "Wheat Platform"

At the foot of Huoyan Mountain in Miaoli, a peasant uprising of "bringing out wheat from Taiwan" is being staged. Ten Yuanli farmers with an average age of over 60 formed the "Wheat Platform Group," the largest in number, oldest in average age, and strongest in fighting spirit in Taiwan, embarking on an adventure of growing Taiwan wheat.