Green trees laden with golden oranges brightly lit by winter sunshine are a feature of Taiwan's mountain countryside from November each year to the following spring. As well as being a source of Vitamin C, oranges are still regarded as a necessity by the Chinese in worshiping ancestors and entertaining guests in the lunar new year.
First cultivated at the southern foot of the Himalayas, oranges were introduced to Taiwan in the Ching dynasty by immigrants from Fukien and Kwangtung provinces about a century ago. While progressing from the original courtyard style to the present orchard style of cultivation, orange plantation area and harvests have increased significantly over the years.
In Taiwan, most orange trees are planted on mountain slopes. After sowing the seeds for sour tangerines in the spring, the farmers will then graft tender seedlings from the choicest species of orange trees. A year later, the young tree is transplanted from the nursery to the orchard. The farmers have to till and fertilize the land, prune tree branches and prevent pests.
To make sure the roots of the trees have enough oxygen, the soil must be loosed, and shallow tilling is therefore necessary. As oranges need rich nutrition, fertilizing the land in spring, summer and autumn is essential. Some farmers resort to partial fertilizing by placing fertilizer around the trunks of the trees, while others adopt full fertilizing by spreading it all over the orchard. Pruning the foliage and branches of orange trees to allow the sun to shine through to the lower leaves is also essential. In addition, branches withered by pests must be burned or buried to prevent the affliction from spreading.
In March or April, if the orange trees are full of white blossoms, the farmers know it will be a year of plentiful harvest. Special attention must be paid to picking and storing oranges to prevent disease from damaging the fruit. A fruit collection center set up by Taiwan Provincial Fruit Marketing Cooperative then divide the oranges into those for the local market and those for export. More than US$7 million in foreign exchange a year has been earned for the Republic of China by exporting oranges to such countries as Japan, the Ryukyus, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Canada.
At present, the cultivation area for oranges in Taiwan exceeds 20,000 hectares, with an annual harvest of more than 200,000 metric tons. Government units concerned have been paying particular attention to introducing new techniques to improve the cultivation of oranges in the future.
[Picture Caption]
Above: The orange collection center is equipped with automatic machines to sterilize the fruit. Above right: fruit of many kinds can be found in all seasons in Taiwan.
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