TAIWAN CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS OFFER FARMERS NEW CROP|養生風興起 本土農民投入種植中草藥

Currently 90 percent of Taiwan's Chinese medicine herbs come from China. While Taiwan does grow its own herbs, several obstacles remain before we have a mature home-grown herbs industry. ==CHANG ZAI-JIN Farmer in Hualien's Yuli Township== For example, this angelica, it's available for harvest after one year because it's considered a perennial plant. Hualien County Yuli Township farmer Chang Zai-jin digs up angelica to send to a restaurant. In recent years, with the rise of health foods, and promotion by government agricultural units, the fresh Chinese medicinal herbal ingredient industry is a new market that many farmers are starting to grow products for. ==CHANG TSAI-CHIN Farmer in Hualien's Yuli Township== Angelica may grow pest-free and disease free, though occasionally you'll find some aphids, red spiders or scale insects. However, if you practice crop rotation and plant some chrysanthemum, pests will not get close to the angelica, they usually don't like the smell of it, so it's a fairly easy plant to grow. Currently Taiwan commonly grows angelica and salvia and the price is quite good. The growing period is long and slow and often interrupted by natural disasters, dampening the farmers' desire for production. ==HSIAO JUI-HUANG Farmer in Huanlien's Yuli Township== It takes a long time to grow, and some farmers just can't wait for that long, it's not profitable that way. That's why it's difficult to promote growing herbs. The Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station's Dr. Chang Tung-wu has tried growing in green houses, hoping to assist farmers to lower the impact of natural disasters. He feels that Hualien and Taitung's environment is good and as long as the market position is clear, there is the opportunity for locally-grown Chinese medicinal herbal ingredients to become special products from the area. ==CHANG TUNG-WU Researcher at Huanlien Dist. Agri. Research and Ext. Station== Through organic farming or eco-friendly farming, we will be able to produce safe and high quality Chinese medicinal herbal ingredients that is different from China. Currently, most of Taiwan's Chinese herbal medicine products are eaten fresh. To enter the traditional market, there are still many obstacles to overcome, for example, the types that can be grown in Taiwan are limited and there are differences in the efficacy of the plants grown. For the Chinese medicinal ingredient market to develop, there needs to be more attention. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 很多人都有吃中藥的經驗，不管是天冷吃碗藥燉排骨，或是身體不好想要長期調養，中藥一直存在我們的生活中，現在台灣的中藥材，有九成來自中國，其實台灣也有種植中草藥，不過，想要進入傳統中藥市場，卻還有許多難關需要克服。 ==花蓮縣玉里鎮農民 張再進== 像這個當歸 就是一年以後就可以採收 因為它這個也是多年生 張再進挖起當歸，準備送往餐廳，這幾年養生風氣興起，加上農政單位推廣，新鮮中藥成為市場新產品，不少農民投入栽種行業 ==花蓮縣玉里鎮農民 張再進== 當歸其實它是很少病蟲害 它只有蚜蟲啦 紅蜘蛛 介殼蟲 只要你輪作 然後你種一些小黃菊 牠就不會靠近當歸 因為當歸它有一種香氣 一些病蟲害牠不喜歡它 所以說還是滿好照顧的 目前台灣種植的中草藥有當歸 丹參等等，價格不錯，但種植到收成期間長，生長緩慢，遭遇天災的風險高，讓部份農民望之卻步。 ==花蓮縣玉里鎮農民 蕭瑞煌== 因為時間很長 所以說就是有些農民 就是沒辦法 沒辦法說時間等那麼長 要怎樣拼經濟 這就是農民的心聲 其實種中草藥為什麼不好推展 花蓮農改場的張同吳博士，嘗試溫室栽培，希望協助農民降低受災風險，他認為花東環境好，只要市場定位明確，就有機會讓本土中草藥，成為花東特色作物。 ==花蓮農改場副研究員 張同吳== 我們透過有機栽培 或是友善耕種的方式 我們就可以生產出 安全 品質高的中藥材 來跟中國的市場來做區隔 目前，台灣中草藥以鮮食為主，如果想要進入傳統中藥市場，還有許多難關要克服，像是台灣本土栽種的品種有限，再加上每個產地的藥效仍有差異，本土中草藥材要持續發展，形成產業鏈，還需要更多的關注。 記者林燕如 葉鎮中 採訪報導