Yunlin Deputy Promotes Mid‑Autumn Pomelos in Legislature; Yield Down 20% but Quality, Price Stable

As the Mid‑Autumn Festival approaches, the seasonal pomelo—symbolic of reunion and good fortune—has entered its peak sales period. To expand market channels for local farmers in Yunlin County, Deputy County Magistrate Hsieh Shu‑Ya personally led a county‑government team northward to hold a large‑scale pomelo promotion press conference at the Legislative Yuan. The event drew multiple legislators from across party lines and representatives from various sectors, becoming the year’s focal point for marketing specialty agricultural products.

During the briefing, the county team conveyed a key message: although this year’s climate fluctuations and uneven rainfall have reduced Yunlin’s overall pomelo output by roughly 20 percent compared with previous years, meticulous care by growers has left the fruit’s sweetness and quality untouched, maintaining a high standard. Consequently, market prices have remained relatively stable, underscoring the sector’s robust competitiveness.

An in‑depth look at the 20 percent drop points to increasingly severe and unpredictable extreme weather. In the crucial growth season, central and southern Taiwan often experience overly concentrated plum‑rain fronts or the heavy rain and strong winds brought by summer typhoons. Excessive precipitation can cause fruit drop, root damage, and hinder normal nutrient absorption and accumulation. Despite these harsh conditions, Yunlin’s pomelo growers—drawing on decades of accumulated planting experience—have mitigated the adverse effects through precise fertilization, timely pruning, and rigorous pest‑disease management. This proactive, farmer‑driven approach is the principal factor preserving pomelo quality.

Fortunately, the reduced harvest has also created a “scarcity premium.” In addition, this year’s pomelos benefited from ample sunshine during the critical sugar‑accumulation phase, allowing the fruit’s sugar‑acid ratio to reach an optimal level. Professional testing by the county government and the local Farmers’ Association shows that the pomelos’ sweetness has not been diluted by excess rain; rather, the lower yield has concentrated nutrients in the remaining fruit, resulting in a full, delicate, and juicy flavor. This superior quality has helped Yunlin pomelos stand out in the fiercely competitive national market. Deputy Magistrate Hsieh emphasized that, because the fruit can withstand market scrutiny, prices have not suffered the volatility often triggered by panic over reduced supply. Prices have remained within a reasonable range, ensuring that farmers receive fair compensation for a year’s labor while keeping consumer costs in check.

The Mid‑Autumn Festival generates a substantial commercial opportunity for gifting and personal consumption, and pomelos have long been an agricultural mainstay for Taiwan’s autumn economy. Yunlin’s decision to stage the promotion at the Legislative Yuan—the nation’s most visible political arena—carries deliberate political and marketing intent. By leveraging the Yuan’s platform, which draws nationwide media attention and gathers political and business elites, the county can market directly to central government officials and legislators, while also tapping the representatives’ social‑media influence and networks to recommend Yunlin’s premium produce to enterprises and consumers across Taiwan. This “parliamentary diplomacy” style of marketing, which moves beyond the traditional local farmers’ association framework, has become a key strategy for regional governments seeking exposure and new direct‑sale channels for farmers, delivering immediate benefits to product visibility and added value.

Looking ahead to the sales push in the days leading up to the festival, Yunlin’s county government and local farmers’ associations are actively integrating online and offline distribution channels. In addition to conventional wholesale markets and fruit stalls, they are coordinating e‑commerce platforms, corporate group purchases, and pre‑order mechanisms with major retail chains, aiming to deliver fresh, farm‑direct pomelos to consumers nationwide as quickly as possible. The experience of maintaining sweetness and price stability despite a 20 percent yield decline offers a valuable reference for Taiwan’s agricultural transformation in the face of climate change. Continuous improvement of product quality, brand trust building, and flexible, diversified marketing strategies will be essential for Taiwan’s refined agriculture to remain resilient in a rapidly shifting market and to secure sustainable, stable income for farmers. (Source: Central News Agency)