The February-to-April rains are crucial to the growth of bamboo shoots – which are popular in Asian cuisine – but since late last year, there have not been any significant downpours.
In the hills: The T’fuya village in Alishan Township where the Tsou tribe resides in Chiayi County. — AFP
But “the weather in the last few years has really been out of whack”, the 62-year-old tribal chief tells AFP.In the Indigenous village T’fuya, the dark-brown cones of the island’s native stone bamboo – or phyllostachys lithophila – have become harder to spot. On a misty May morning, a welcome drizzle finally blankets the bamboo forest Vayayana is working in, but he tells AFP it is too late.Worse, Vayayana and his family must now also contend with crop-raiding monkeys, he explains after an airgun shot rings out in the distance: his cousin trying to scare away the marauders.
But for the third year in a row, the government is providing subsidies to farmers not to plant their crops – a sign of severe water needs.From January to April, rainfall declined to 226.5mm, a more than 50% drop compared to the same period last year, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Station. At T’fuya’s crop collection point, villagers offload sacks of bamboo shoots from trucks, weighing them before sending them to factories to be boiled and tinned for mass consumption.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Taiwan tribe despairs as drought shrinks bamboo crop | The Malaysian InsightDelayed rainfall is badly affecting the plant’s growth.
Read more »
Hong Kong artists mark Tiananmen quietly or overseas | The Malaysian InsightPerformers circumvent local censors with showings in Taiwan.
Read more »
Taiwan’s key role in Industry 4.0 underscored by leading companies at Metaltech 2023KUALA LUMPUR: Metaltech 2023 will be welcoming several Taiwan-based brands this year as the importance of Taiwan’s smart machinery and smart manufacturing companies continues to grow and they become total solution providers for the industry globally.
Read more »
‘Unsafe’ action by China near American ship in Taiwan Strait, says US | The Malaysian Insight‘Unsafe’ action by China near American ship in Taiwan Strait, says US
Read more »
Taiwanese Shipping Company Evergreen Gives Employees 10-11 Months Of Mid-Year BonusEvergreen strikes once again! During the end of the year 2022, they gave out to their employees up to 52 months of bonus! And if that’s not enough, they are giving out a mid-year bonus as well, albeit not as much as the year-end one. It was reported by Taiwan News that every employee got […]
Read more »
Taiwan tribe despairs as drought shrinks bamboo crop | The Malaysian InsightDelayed rainfall is badly affecting the plant’s growth.
Read more »