To help progress in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and animal husbandry, the Kiwanis Club, Republic of China branch, sponsored a program in 1977 to select 10 outstanding farmers. Established in 1915 in Detroit Michigan, the Kiwanis Club is a private service organization with 6,000 branches and 330,000 members active in 44 nations in the Free World.

The outstanding farmers' program was decided on by Shih Chi-hsien, incumbent president of the local Kiwanis Club, when he realized that more than half of Taiwan's population was employed on the land.

The nine-member panel of judges took into account social contribution, research achievements and good character in selecting the winners from among 813 candidates. Eventually, they decided unanimously on Chou Chung-yi, a farmer in the suburbs of Taipei city, for his contribution to the development of oranges and bamboo shoots.

Born and raised in a farming family, Chou entered the Institute of Agriculture at age 12 and passed a test at age 20 which allowed him to work at an experimental farm and eventually be appointed director of agriculture on Hainan island. He returned to his native Taiwan after it was recovered from Japanese occupation in 1945, and after working as a government employee for three years, he began to engage in cultivation of the two crops that were later to bring him recognition.

Today, Chou runs his Tahua ranch in the Taipei suburb of Mucha, where a four-hectare plantation yields an annual harvest of 12,500 kilograms of bamboo shoots and 25,000 kilograms of oranges. Taking advantage of Taiwan's warm and humid climate, Chou further stimulated the growth of bamboo shoots by placing weeds around the roots of the bamboo as a soil enricher and covering them with chemical fertilizer. With the concentration of heat and nutrition, the bamboo shoots ripened one month ahead of schedule and yielded a crop 20 percent above normal.

The book he subsequently published on the cultivation of green bamboo shoots, based on his innovations, helped considerably to stabilize the market supply.

Chou's contribution to orange cultivation was the development of a new method of grafting. The traditional practice of connecting two twigs with grass thread allowed too much water to gather at the graft sites, making them vulnerable to rot and mildew. By the simple expedient of substituting plastic cords, Chou overcame this problem.

In response to his suggestions, the government has encouraged farmers to improve the application of insecticides to bamboo shoots, and replaced urea fertilizer with ammonium sulfate. It has also made more precise the test for soil acidity and offered more loans to farmers. Chou expressed his appreciation for the thoughtful assistance and guidance provided by the government for farmers.

Now the owner of a four-hectare plot of land, two apartment blocks and a ranch, Chou is comfortably off. Far from being satisfied, however, he continues to exchange up-to-date knowledge with specialists and technicians, and to teach students in field work.

In 1977, Chou led a 30-member farmers' group to tour 17 countries in Europe to observe agricultural mechanization and management. By keeping himself abreast of modern agricultural concepts and techniques, Chou has gained more confidence to continue his endeavors in the future.

[Picture Caption]

Chou Chung-yi relaxes in the yard of his home.

From left: Chou poses for a picture during his inspection tour in Europe; bamboo leaves in focus; and Chou digging up pre-matured bamboo shoots at his ranch.