First batch of rice from Yilan, Taiwan is ready to export to Japan for season 2020

The first batch of rice produced in the Taiwanese county of Yilan was loaded into containers on November 10, 2020 to be exported to Japan.

Through a collaboration between the Wujie Township Farmer’s Association and a Taiwanese company, a total of 1,800 tons of Yilan rice will be exported to Japan, according to the Agriculture and Food Agency. Among these, 400 tons will be dispatched by the end of the year, with the rest to be exported in 2021.

The rice from Yilan has passed 611 pesticide residue tests in Japan and acquired a number of certificates, the agency said. The export shows Yilan's rice is recognized for its taste, high quality, and the excellent milling techniques, the agency added.

Due to the cold air mass that frequents northeastern Taiwan, Yilan County is the only place in the country where rice farmers harvest only once a year. When the soil does not grow rice, it is left fallow or used to grow other crops that can keep the soil fertile.

Yet that is not enough amid increasing competition in the international market in recent years. The government has been encouraging farmers to grow quality rice and nudging rice millers to improve their equipment and techniques, said the agency.

The farmer’s association has monitored and controlled the use of fertilizers and pesticides used by local farmers, and it has taken up the responsibility of processing and preserving the harvest. In addition, the association is equipped with cutting-edge milling machines.

The export of Yilan rice to Japan proves the government’s agricultural policy has yielded some fruit, said the agency. It encourages agricultural authorities to continue to help farmers sell their products overseas.