Kaohsiung showcases mechanized farming to boost efficiency

高雄展示機械化農業以提高效率

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kaohsiung City Agriculture Bureau has demonstrated mechanized farming techniques in passion fruit orchards, highlighting their potential to ease labor shortages and improve efficiency.

With the harvest season ending, orchard cleanup and vine pruning are underway. On Wednesday, the bureau showcased machinery that removes vines and shreds them directly into the soil, a process eight times faster than traditional handwork, per CNA.

Clearing 970 square meters by hand takes about eight hours, compared with just one hour using chainsaws and shredding equipment. The approach also lowers labor costs, retains soil organic matter, curbs pest breeding, and improves orchard health.

Agriculture Bureau Director Yao Chih-wang (姚志旺) said post-harvest maintenance has grown increasingly difficult due to labor shortages and long hours. As of July, the city’s mechanized farming team had cleaned 276,000 square meters of orchards.

Yao expressed hope the demonstrations would encourage more farmers to adopt mechanized services. He added that the bureau will continue integrating resources to promote more efficient and sustainable farming practices.