Tainan chestnut fields disappear amid labor shortage

2024-05-27

Guantian District in Tainan has the most water chestnut fields in the country. But despite prices remaining stable, more farms are closing as the labor-intensive job is affected by an aging population and labor shortages. Jacana birds also rely on the farms to raise their young, but are threatened by invasive Thai snakeheads and poisonous frogs. Facing these challenges, the future of Guantian’s chestnut fields is uncertain.

A farmer stands waist-deep in water, skillfully gathering water chestnuts. But the hard part is finding young people to join her.

Chen Su A-mei
Farmer
It’s really hard to find workers. If you get people who don’t know how, you’re asking for trouble. Young people don’t do this these days. Who wants to be out in the sun?

Her daughter is also skilled at chestnut picking, but she doesn’t want her own children to continue such backbreaking work.

Ms. Su
Farmer
I’ve been doing it since I was little, but I hope my kids can go into tech, not go the farming route. At least stay out of the sun.

At its peak 20 years ago, there were over 400 hectares of water chestnut farms in Tainan’s Guantian District. By 2020 it had fallen to 300, and again to 212 last year. This year, it’s expected to fall below 200 hectares.

Lin Ting-yi
Guantian Farmers’ Association
The farmers’ association is using product tracing and guaranteed pricing to attract more young people to the business. You can actually make a lot of money with water chestnuts, but it’s hard work.

The disappearance of the chestnut fields also affects pheasant-tailed jacana, which are facing the double threat of invasive species, especially Thai snakehead fish and banded bullfrogs.

Lee Wen-chen
Jacana Ecological Education Park
Snakeheads can jump up and swallow baby jacana birds in one bite. The worst I’ve ever seen is 10 eaten out of 20 in total.

Jacanas mate and raise their young in Guantian’s chestnut fields, charming people with their elegance. They just need a few leaves to support a nest, but it all depends on the gifts of the chestnut field.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

人口老化+缺工台南官田"菱角"栽種面積銳減

2024-05-27

台南官田區菱角栽種面積全國最大，近年來雖然價格穩定，但生產過程得全靠人力，人口老化和缺工影響，讓栽種面積逐年銳減。而保育類的水雉鳥，也仰賴菱角田復育，竟然也遇上外來種泰國鱧魚，和有毒蛙類的威脅，官田菱角的未來，讓菱角農們很憂心。

菱角田裡，農民熟練地採收菱角，而他們面臨的問題是，找不到年輕人來採菱角。

[[農民陳蘇阿梅]]
“真的很難請到工人，你要是找不會採的人來做，也是自己找罪受。現在年輕人不做這個啦，這要曬太陽年輕人誰要做這個？”

老太太的女兒，也是採菱高手，不過到此為止，蘇小姐也不希望自己的孩子，繼續做這種辛苦的工作。

[[農民蘇小姐]]
“我從小看到大，然後我希望小孩子，是往科技方面去發展，不是往農業走，至少不用曬太陽吧。”

台南官田的菱角田，從20年前高峰期約有400多公頃，近年面積銳減，2020年剩下約300公頃，去年已經減少到212公頃，今年估計恐怕會跌破200公頃。

[[台南市官田區農會總幹事林定億]]
“目前農會是透過產銷履歷，以及保價收購的方式，希望可以吸引一些青農返鄉務農，不然坦白說菱角這個區塊，是真的可以賺錢的，只不過是真的比較辛苦。”

另一方面，靠著菱角田復育的保育鳥類水雉，不只棲地減少，還遇上外來種的生物威脅，其中泰國鱧魚，和亞洲錦蛙，對水雉的危害最大。

[[水雉生態教育園區主任李文珍]]
“水雉寶寶就在菱角田上頭行走，泰國鱧魚就躍出了水面，一口就吞掉了水雉寶寶。我們有一次最嚴重的時候是，我們有20巢（水雉），結果有一半都不見了。”

水雉鳥在官田的菱角田裡，繁殖、育雛，優雅的姿態讓人著迷。一片芡實的葉子，就足夠支撐水雉和牠的巢。只是這一切，都得仰賴，有菱角田的生養。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00