Friends who ordered Lunshan honey pomelo and oranges this year, please read this notice

Thank you to all the friends who ordered honey pomelos and liu ding (citrus) from Lunshan in Hualien this year. These honey pomelos and liu ding may not look very appealing on the outside, and they may taste about the same as what you buy at the traditional market, or perhaps even less sweet. But your purchase is a great source of encouragement for the tribe to keep farming organically.

The farmers of Lunshan in Hualien have not been farming organically for long, only about 2 to 3 years since their transition. The honey pomelos and sweet liu ding were varieties grown based on advice from the former agricultural research and extension station and farmers' associations in the past, and their market acceptance has not been very high.

In recent years, as they have farmed organically, both the appearance and sweetness were at first inferior to those grown with conventional farming methods, so wholesale market buying prices were very low, and buyers were even unwilling to purchase them. They had no choice but to leave the fruit on the trees to ripen and fall on their own. The past conventional farming methods have also damaged their land to some extent. In taste, they naturally cannot compare with farmers who transitioned to organic farming longer ago.

During this period of choosing organic and giving up conventional farming methods, if there is no harvest of aboveground crops, the livelihoods of the farmers in the tribe will inevitably be affected, and they may even switch back to conventional farming. During this process, some members of the organic team have dragged their aging bodies to do odd jobs to make a living.

It is precisely because we have witnessed all these processes and understand them that we still want to sell the crops they grow during this process.

Of course, just as expected, we received many customer complaints. Some said these liu ding were not tasty at all, while others said they went bad during transport. With every phone call, we patiently explained the tribe's difficulties. Through this experience, we will also reflect on ourselves and on what methods we should use to help the tribe get through this difficult period.

Just like in any industry, we all go through a period of transition when resources are tight, needing someone to lead the way, needing education and training, and even more needing practice and support. And everyone's purchase this time is the greatest help. We also thank you for giving the tribe a chance to practice and for lending them a hand on this path.

Sincerely, Taiwan Original Flavor