Strawberry harvest season to begin in Taiwan’s Miaoli County

台灣苗栗縣草莓收穫季即將開始

Dahu Township strawberry harvest gets late start due to typhoons


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Miaoli County's Dahu Township strawberry season will soon begin as a local farmer association said this year's delay in harvest was due to late-season typhoons, with the first wave of strawberry harvests occurring in mid-December.

A press conference held at the Miaoli County Government on Tuesday (Nov. 26) announced a series of activities to coincide with the start of strawberry season in early December, inviting tourists from all over Taiwan to come and pick their own fruit. Also on display were several associated products, such as strawberry wine and strawberry jam, per CNA.

Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦) presided over the event and said the county had 521 hectares of strawberry fields, with main strawberry production occurring in Dahu, Shitan, and Zhuolan. Chung said the most popular variety of strawberries continued to be the Hsiang Shui (香水) cultivar, which is large and has a solid texture and good flavor.

Hsu Chin-chih (徐欽志), executive director of the Miaoli County Dahu Township Farmers Association, said that despite the delay in planting caused by typhoons, farmers were hoping for a good harvest. Hsu noted that last year’s crop suffered from verticillium wilt disease, a soil-born fungal disease.

However, Hsu said the situation has improved this year, while strawberry quality has become more stable and the supply has become sufficient for tourists seeking to pick their own fruit. Strawberry prices are expected to increase by about 10% compared to last year, due to increased costs such as wages and fertilizers.

For tourists visiting farms to pick strawberries, prices range around NT$500 (US$15.40) for 600 grams.

Hsu said farmers have been moving on from the popular Hsiang Shui cultivar, choosing new varieties for planting such as Jin Hsiang (錦香), which has a rich aroma and a good yield. This strawberry variety also has strong resistance to wilt disease.

As the weather turns colder, Miaoli County is welcoming strawberry season with several activities, such as an upcoming concert at the Dahu Wineland Resort on Dec. 7. Chung encouraged the public to visit Miaoli County to pick strawberries and enjoy their delicious sweet and sour taste.