Farmer breeds peanut variety that stays fresh for almost a year

2026-09-17

Peanuts are both nutritious and a very common snack. However, ordinary ones can’t be stored for very long or else they go rancid. Now, a young farmer from Citong Township in Yunlin has successfully cultivated “red-skinned, high-oleic acid" peanuts, which extend their shelf life for a whopping ten months at room temperature. It’s the result of a three-year collaboration with the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station. Let’s find out more:

One after another, each peanut is plump, glossy, and vibrant red, bringing a cheerful, festive touch. They are an improved variety: red-skinned, high-oleic peanuts.

Lee Shou-ching
Young farmer
It’s high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which is why it’s called “high oleic.” That also makes it much less prone to going rancid

Lee Shou-ching took over his family farm 15 years ago. He also went on to study at a biotechnology research institute, wanting to upgrade his family’s agricultural products. He found that traditional peanuts tend to develop a rancid oil taste shortly after high-temperature processing. He collaborated with the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station for three years and successfully cultivated a new variety.

Lee Shou-ching
Young farmer
It has a subtle nutty aroma with complex layers, giving it a completely different flavor from traditional peanuts.

High-oleic peanuts contain up to 80% monounsaturated fatty acids, can be stored at room temperature for up to 10 months, and exhibit stable disease resistance, representing another breakthrough in agricultural technology in Citong Township in Yunlin.

Liu Chien-kuo
Legislator (DPP)
Citong Township has given strong support to local agriculture in recent years and with the help of the Agriculture and Food Agency, we are here today to promote this extensively.

Red-skinned, high-oleic peanuts are currently grown across 87 hectares through contract farming, involving 32 local farmers. With production and sales traceability certification already secured, efforts are underway to expand promotion and make them a nationwide favorite.

#peanutvarieties #healthyfats #Taiwanpeanuts #Taiwanfood

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

擺脫惱人油耗味! 雲林青農成功培育 "紅皮高油酸"花生

2026-09-17

生活中常見的庶民食材，花生，營養價值很高、不過，傳統花生有容易產生油耗味的痛點，雲林莿桐一位青農，與台南農改場合作3年，成功培育"紅皮高油酸"花生，不但延長保存期，還有淡淡堅果香!

一顆接一顆，粒粒飽滿，色澤紅豔豔，很有喜氣!它們是改良過後的，紅皮高油酸花生!

[[青農李首青]]
"單元不飽和脂肪酸比較高，所以它叫高油酸，那因為這樣子的原因，所以它就不會容易有油耗味"

李首清15年前接手家中農場，他還去攻讀生物技術研究所，要讓自家農產更升級，他發現傳統花生，在高溫加工後，沒多久容易出現油耗味，他與台南農改場合作3年，成功培育出新品種!

[[青農李首青]]
"它的香氣是屬於淡淡的那種堅果香，它是層層堆疊的，所以吃起來跟傳統的花生，是剛好兩個不一樣的調性"

高油酸花生，單元不飽和脂肪酸達8成，常溫可保存延長至10個月，抗病性表現穩定，是雲林莿桐的農作技術再突破!

[[立委劉建國]]
"刺桐鄉這幾年來對農產的支持，還透過農糧署的幫忙，今天要來大大的行銷"

紅皮高油酸花生，目前契作面積達87公頃，共32戶農民參與，也取得產銷履歷認證，要持續推廣出去，讓台灣人都愛上。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Political motivation suspected in banner vandalism at Asian Games

2026-09-17

American entertainer crashes after narrowly missing reckless cyclist

On Wednesday afternoon, American entertainer and Taiwan resident, Tony Capatch, known locally as Ko Lung, was heading home from the gym when he crashed his scooter trying to avoid a cyclist. He accused the woman on the bike of not only failing to help him up but also scolding him that “he can’t swerve.” Ko Lung suffered minor abrasions and contusions to his limbs. The police have called the woman to come in for questioning, but since bicycles are considered slow vehicles, it may not be possible to treat it as a hit-and-run.

A red scooter speeds through a green light, when a woman on a bicycle begins riding further and further into the middle of the road. Although the motorcycle slows down, it loses its balance and falls to the ground. The woman stops and turns to curse at the rider.

Member of public
Witnessed the accident
He seemed to have rolled on the ground, so I quickly got him some tissues. If someone falls, you should at least show concern, but she just walked away.

Witnesses saw the accident and rushed to help. The incident occurred on Wednesday around 1pm in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City. The motorcyclist who crashed was American entertainer, Ko Lung. He was riding home from the gym when he tried to avoid the cyclist and fell to the ground, injuring both his knees and elbows.

Tony Capatch (Ko Lung)
American entertainer
How can you do this? How can you cross the road like this? Then she replied, almost scolding me, “Don’t you know how to dodge me?”

After crashing his bike and getting scolded, Ko Lung was left dumbfounded and helpless. His wife later posted on social media expressing her sympathy for her husband and angrily declaring that karma is real and the cyclist’s turn would come soon.

Tony Capatch (Ko Lung)
American entertainer
It’s true that there are a lot of reckless drivers, I think traffic in Taiwan is a huge issue, so I don’t take my child or wife on the scooter, it’s better to take them in a car.
Ko Lung is a 35 year-old artist, model, and athlete who has worked in Taiwan for many years. He has an Instagram following of over 31,000 and 116,000 subscribers to his podcast with his wife. Police have reviewed surveillance footage to find the woman.

Lee Yu-han
FTV Reporter
Since, bicycles are considered slow vehicles, it is unlikely that this would be considered a hit-and-run under criminal law. Even if the police catch the perpetrator later, Ko Lung will probably only be able to ask for compensation to settle the matter.

Although criminal law stipulates that fleeing the crime scene can be punished with a prison sentence of six months to five years, the cycle is a slow vehicle and not a motorized one, so the woman can’t be considered to have fled the scene. It can only be handled as a traffic accident with vehicle damage.

#strongman #hitandrun #tonycapatch #taiwan #cyclist

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

2026-09-17

NCKU students heartbroken after excavator knocks off chunk from arch

2026-09-17

Jurassic age is upon locals as dinosaur stalks streets at night

A resident in Kaohsiung’s Cianjhen District filmed a dinosaur with glowing eyes, shaking its head, and baring its sharp teeth, stalking the streets. It wasn’t a real dinosaur of course, but a puppeteer from a performing arts troupe during training. Though fun to look at, the enormous dinosaur costume could obstruct the view of pedestrians and police warned that a fine may be imposed.

Red glowing eyes, a massive body, a dinosaur has suddenly appeared on the street, swaying its head as it walks.

It opened its mouth revealing rows of sharp teeth, and walked towards people. Some were startled, while others found it intriguing.

Member of public
Commenting on incident
I thought it was fascinating. How come we have this here also? Very amusing.

Member of public
Commenting on incident
To suddenly see a dinosaur in the street, I thought it was very unique.

On Tuesday evening, members of the public in Kaohsiung’s Cianjhen district took photos of a dinosaur stalking the roads. The dinosaur was actually a prop made by a performing arts troupe during their practice. The video quickly went viral online, with some netizens joking, “Why wasn’t the dinosaur on a leash?”

Mr. Chang
Member of the arts troupe
When training the troupe or during practice, we try to imagine how the dinosaur would walk, to make them walk in a more dinosaur-like fashion.

Although the training was conducted in the night, the size of the dinosaur costume was raising concerns over road safety.

Mr. Chang
Member of the arts troupe
We had people on watch to ensure safety and watch for oncoming traffic.

Chen Chin-tsung
Kaohsiung City Police Department
Such behavior can be in violation of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, which can be punished with a fine of NT$500.

The lifelike dinosaurs have become a unique point, although interesting and fun, it’s important to pay attention to traffic safety to avoid endangering yourself and other road users.

#dinosaur #theatre #performingarts #kaohsiung #taiwannews

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

2026-09-17

New strawberry bed tiller saves farmers time and labor

Every September, strawberry farmers in Miaoli’s Dahu Township prepare fields for the growing season. While they used to turn soil and add fertilizer by hand, they now use machines to save labor and time. The equipment speeds up the process and mixes fertilizer more evenly, helping strawberry roots take hold and grow strong.

A strawberry farmer turns the soil with a small rake, slowly moving along the elevated bed. It takes lots of time and effort, but now there’s a machine to help.

The tiller moves quickly down the row, turning the soil and evenly spreading fertilizer so the strawberry plants can grow strong.

Yeh Te-tung
Strawberry farmer
People can turn the soil in two to three rows per day, but the tiller can do almost 20 rows a day.

Every September, strawberry farmers in Dahu, Miaoli, prepare their fields for planting. They used to spend all day raking fertilizer into the soil by hand, but this new machine is making the job much faster and easier.

- How did you turn the soil before the machine? By hand?
- Yeah. It would take over a month. The elevated beds cover almost half an acre.
- How much time does the machine save you?
- 70 or 80%.

Yeh Te-tung
Strawberry farmer
Traditionally, farmers place coconut fibers in the center before planting the strawberries, but the roots might have trouble growing through it. I thought using a tiller could loosen the soil and mix the fibers in.

If the soil isn’t loose enough, strawberry roots will have trouble growing and not as many plants will survive. The tiller not only saves time, but helps more strawberries grow and can even be customized for use in elevated beds.

- How many could you plant when there were no connecting beds?
- We could only plant 3,700, but now we can plant up to 6,000.

To grow more strawberries in a limited space, farmers developed connecting channels between beds. While these channels don’t qualify for subsidies from the Agriculture and Food Agency, the tiller is expected to qualify, which could reduce farmers’ costs considerably.

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

#strawberry #Dahu #strawberryseason #planting #farmer #tiller #soil #fertilizer #strawberrypicking

2026-09-17

Hit ‘a-We’ mascot from Osaka World Expo makes Taipei return for free exhibition

The “We TAIWAN” series hosted by the Ministry of Culture at last year’s World Expo in Osaka gathered artistic groups to deliver outstanding performances and shows at the global showcase. Now, all of these activities have returned to the Contemporary Culture Lab in Taipei, open to the public free of charge. Taiwan’s mascot from the event, “a-We,” is also being featured at a special exhibition, which includes a massive 17-meter-tall inflatable figure for people to take photos with.

a-We, a mascot designed to represent Taiwanese culture, was a hit at last year’s World Expo in Osaka. Now back in Taiwan, a special exhibition is being held in its honor at Taipei’s Contemporary Culture Lab.

Lin Yung-chi
FTV reporter
After his stint abroad, a-We is back in Taiwan for an exhibition! Don’t you just want to poke the big squishy blob? No problem! Here you can squish him as much as you’d like!

No matter how you much you squeeze a-We, he never loses his shape. This is meant to symbolize the resilience of the Taiwanese people in the face of hardship. Five different designs are making their debut at the show.

Lin Yung-chi
FTV reporter
a-We takes different forms, just like our emotions. Like this one, which looks a bit grumpy. Or if you’re perfectly adaptable, then you’re like Twistee here.

Visitors can take photos with all of these a-We variations, and complete a personality quiz to see which one you resemble the most. If you want to take one home, there are bag charms, totes, and stickers to buy.

Phil Wu
Curator
Hopefully Taiwanese people will see themselves in this character. Its many different forms speak to Taiwan’s resilience. It also uses an amazing Taiwanese IP for products all made in Taiwan.

Performances by Taiwanese troupes that proved a massive hit in Osaka last year have also returned, with weekend shows to be held throughout September. In addition, the Taiwan Spectrum exhibition will open at MOMA Tainan on Oct. 8.

Li Yuan
Minister of Culture
I was deeply moved by Chen Jing-lin’s masterful botanical and indigo dye work. The colors extracted from plants that grow in our land and soil are the true colors of Taiwan. Starting from the a-We show, if you visit every single exhibition, you’ll walk away with the confidence to say that Taiwan has a rich culture.

a-We is once again heading out to greet his fans, ready to relive the splendor of his debut at the Osaka World Expo.

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

#OsakaWorldExpo #aWe #mascot #MinistryofCulture #TaiwanIP #cute #CLab #exhibition #TaiwanSpectrum

2026-09-17

Taiwan increases paid marital leave for newlyweds to whopping 14 days

Taiwan is giving couples more time off to get married, and hopefully use some of that time to make a baby. The government is giving the marital leave policy a major makeover, expanding the number of marital leave days from eight to a whopping 14. The policy will enter effect on Oct. 1, and will also apply to couples who registered their marriage within the previous three months.

Brides and grooms hold hands as they take the next big step in life. For years, tying the knot would grant each party eight days of marital leave, which many say is barely enough to tie up loose ends. Now, saying “I do” will grant couples a longer vacation of 14 days.

Huang Chi-ya
Ministry of Labor
Here’s how to check if you are eligible to extend your eight days of marital leave to 14. First, you need to still have some of your original eight days left. Then, check whether your eligibility period extends beyond Oct. 1, counting three months starting from 10 days before your marriage registration. If you haven’t used up your leave, and you qualify under the second condition, the new rules apply.

The new rules will enter into effect on Oct. 1, adding six days of paid marital leave to newlyweds. But who’s shouldering the bill? Not employers, as the government will subsidize the wages in full starting from the ninth day of leave. The new rules will also apply to couples caught between the old and new rules. As long as they haven’t yet used up their original eight days and they registered their marriage within the three months prior to Oct. 1, they can claim the extra leave. The government hopes the extra leave will encourage more workers to get married. But will it lead to more marriages? And babies?

Member of public
Doubtful of a marriage boom
I don’t think the extra leave will do much to get more people to get married. There are a lot of other factors to consider.

Member of public
Doubtful of a marriage boom
It depends on the person. If you don’t want to get married, getting more days off won’t change your mind.

The government is hoping that the extra vacation days will make people more willing to get hitched and bring more little ones into the world. But whether the figures increase remains to be seen.

#marriage #wedding #leave #workersrights #taiwan

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

2026-09-17

Fashion designer takes on New York; suona player delights Turkish audiences

Kaohsiung-born Erika Chung recently became a focal point at New York Fashion Week with her own self-created brand. Inspired by her hometown, her designs fuse local features with elements of traditional Chinese characters. Meanwhile, suona player Lin Yu-cheng was invited to perform in Turkey, where he played the iconic fight song Taiwan Hero Hito to thunderous applause.

At New York Fashion Week, models wearing an array of designs strut down the runway.

One of them in the middle is wearing a sharply tailored black top featuring the traditional Chinese character for “love” across the chest. At the end of the lineup, there’s another surprise.

A male model walks out in a suit jacket with the two large characters “Takau,” which is the historic name for Kaohsiung, written across the front. The chic threaded lines give the piece a unique look, courtesy of the Kaohsiung designer Erika Chung.

Attendee
Happy about Taiwanese designer
As a Taiwanese person, seeing a Taiwanese designer here at such a huge fashion week in the US makes me so happy. And seeing elements from Kaohsiung in the work makes me so proud.

A fellow participant from Kaohsiung shared their pride after watching the designs walk down the runaway. Across the Atlantic, another artist has also been making Taiwan proud.

The familiar sound of Taiwan’s classic fight song are played on the suona as the national flag is unfurled on stage. Suona musician Lin Yu-cheng was invited to lead a group to an international culture, arts, and sports festival in Turkey, where they brought their set to a climax with the energetic song.

Lin Yu-cheng
Suona musician
When we started playing, even all the Turkish people there started dancing along. I feel so happy and honored to bring glory to Taiwan.

Suona, reed flute, and drums turn this street parade into a Taiwanese concert, showing the world the unique spirit of Taiwan.

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

#NewYorkFashionWeek #fashiondesigner #EricaChung #suona #TaiwanHiroHito #Turkey #prideofTaiwan #Taiwanculture

2026-09-17