Taipei, Feb. 6 (CNA) A total of 123 hectares of buckwheat grown by farmers in Yuli, Hualien County has been certified as a traceable organic agricultural product and made the farmers' group one of the best agricultural production-marketing groups nationwide in 2021 selected by the Council of Agriculture.
Hsieh Ming-chien (謝銘鍵), a division head of the agricultural group in Yuli, said that buckwheat, a plant cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop, is not a major staple crop in Taiwan.
Buckwheat can be used to make soba noodles, tea bags, and as dressings or a condiment, Hsieh said, adding that even McDonald's Buckwheat & Sesame McFlurry ice cream was made with buckwheat from Yuli.
Almost all buckwheat in Taiwan was imported before the government introduced a policy in January last year to encourage farmers to switch from growing rice to a variety of other crops.
It was later found that the climate and weather conditions in Hualien and Taitung counties in eastern Taiwan are suitable for buckwheat plants and farmers do not need to spray chemical pesticides while growing the crop.
With the assistance of a local farmers' association, 14 farmers in Yuli formed an agricultural production and marketing group and began planting 70 hectares of buckwheat. The total area used for growing buckwheat by the group is now 123 hectares, and for all of Yuli, a total of 300-400 hectares of land is dedicated to buckwheat cultivation, according to Hsieh.
The group has signed a contract farming agreement with Tainan-based company Yu Min which sells a wide range of buckwheat food products.
The practice of paddy rice-upland crop rotation can not only improve soil fertility and texture which contributes to plant growth, but also reduce agricultural chemical use and cut production costs to contribute to the sustainable use of agricultural and water resources, the Agriculture and Food Agency's (AFA) eastern region branch said.
There are two main species of buckwheat -- common buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat, according to the branch.
Tartary buckwheat, also known as golden buckwheat or bitter buckwheat, contains more rutin than common buckwheat and is also one of the greatest natural sources of D-chiro-inositol, a compound that promotes healthy glucose levels. It can be used as a primary raw material for the processing of noodles, biscuits, snacks, and tea bags.
Common buckwheat, also known as sweet buckwheat, is good for landscaping with its white or light pink flowers that fit into virtually any garden design, according to the AFA branch.
It can also be cultivated for honey production and used as a green manure crop, the branch said.
The seed hulls of common buckwheat are firm yet highly malleable and breathable, which makes them an ideal pillow filling, it said, adding that buckwheat pillows, which are popular throughout Asia, are a proven means of attaining better and more restful sleep.
