| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 地理學系 === 103 === The Development of Cultivating White Jade Radish in Meinong ─ Analysis of Local Meaning from Extensive to Intensive Resources Invested
Master’s Thesis：
Department of Geography, National Kaohsiung Normal University
Thesis Director：Shu-Chuan Hsu
Thesis Author：Szu-Yin Chen
Abstract
Meinong, Kaohsiung City, was once renowned as “Tobacco Kingdom,” where prosperous Tobacco cultivation started in fall and winter after the secondary cropping; however, Tobacco planting in Meinong had greatly declined after Taiwan joined in World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002 and Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation terminated contract farming of Tobacco. What alternation would be made to the cropping style in Meinong to fill up the vacuum season after the secondary cropping?
In correspondence with the change of producing and marketing environment, Meinong’s Farmer Association and local groups encourage senior farmers who grow tobacco for long to cultivate the "Little Radish," which used to be grown in marginal land. Since then, the planting of “Little Radish” has increased and was named as “White Jade Radish” for its precious cropping value. The cultivation area of White Jade Radish was only 5 hectares in 2002 and 30 hectares in 2004 to 2006. However, after the White Jade Radish Festival held in 2006, the cultivation area in the next year had been significantly raised to 172.62 hectares and 100 hectares in average since then. The numbers shows the extensive farming pattern before the White Jade Radish Festival and the relatively intensive farming with more resources invested. People may wonder that how can the White Jade Radish with period of growth as short as 40 days should be developed into a local grand event, where the area of planting White Jade Radish in Meinong is, how the farmers deal with the land without utilizing White jade Radish as substitute for tobacco, how the farmers adjust cropping style and what kind of crops they choose, and what else changes occurred to Meinong after the holding of White Jade Radish. Therefore, the research analyses the cultivation condition and space distribution of White jade Radish in Meinong, clarifies the relationship of faming-extensiveness and local meaning, and explores the connection of relative farming-intensiveness and local meaning with commercialized White Jade Radish.
Research has shown that radish is cool-season crop and grows only in soft and thick soil area where both soil and air are moist, although it can’t stand for rain and is not irrigatable. According to the conditions above, the White Jade Radish in Meinong should be seeded during November to December, especially in October. Earlier seeding may cause rotten roots, and later seeding is vulnerable to pests. Therefore, White Jade Radish is time-specific. As a result, Farmer’s Association controls the species of seeds to ensure its quality and price in order to avoid confusion with other kinds of radish on markets and surplus caused by over-farming, making White Jade Radish space-specific to Meinong. On the Southern hillsides of Meinong Mountain, the foggy weather at night is proper to cultivate White Jade Radish, while on the south of Route 28, the thinner soil layer of the plain is harsh for the radish to plow its roots, leading to growing shallow roots plants, such as red bean and other beans as the plantation in the south. Therefore, the Route 28 dichotomizes the plantation of Meinong area in winter, forming a scene that “Red interweaves with White ”or“ White against Red”: White Jade Radish cultivated in the Northern plain, while Red Beans grown in the South.
From the time Taiwan joined in WTO in 2001 to the White Jade Radish Festival in 2006, farmer had chosen corn, cucumber, and beans as substitute crop, while the growing area of White Jade Radish was only 30 hectares in total. It showed that the farming pattern was extensive. There were mainly four factors in choosing substitute crop. First, profit was concerned. Famer chose crops with high profitability. Second, labor requirement was estimated in decision-making process. Farmer took option with labor-intensive crop while there was much man power he could maneuver, vice versa. Third, the cultivation time was concerned that farmer chose two different crops with varied farming style. Fourth, the purpose of the crop was differed by food safety, preference with family members, and the experience of planting by relatives and friends. Farmers opting for White Jade Radish favored its relative extensive farming style which required no flooding and fertilizing. Besides, the loss caused by pests was relatively less because of the short growing period of 40 days. Stock of White Jade Radish could be cured to preserve its value of commodity. For farmers in Meinong, White Jade Radish filled up the lands released by planting tobacco. It not only increased family income but also took relatively extensive labor which sufficiently utilized man power in the aging county.
White Jade Radish Festival is held by Meinong Farmer’s Association and local groups, with the goal to promote the social awareness of Meinong White Jade Radish and its sale. In the year (2007) after White Jade Radish Festival, the planting area was increased to 170.62 hectares, and once up to 251.08 hectares, indicating that commercialized White Jade Radish had caused the larger input of resources and thus relative intensive farming. The relative intensive investiment includes: tangible asset, like man power, land, goods, and capital, and intangible asset, as marketing channels, connection of organizations, system, thoughts, emotion attachments, etc. For Meinong, White Jade Radish attracts tourists and money, making Meinong more visible and the careers related to it like tourism and organism raise the confidence and vigor of local farmer.
White Jade Radish brings vigor to Meinong, making the management of land more intensive. It draws extra income to farmers and maximizes the labor force of aging population, not to mention the attracting of young labor. With the fame of White Jade Radish Festival, more and more tourists come to Meinong and thus boost the sale of other agricultural products, in addition to tourism and travel economy. The development of White Jade Radish that changes Meinong may be the role model of many other country industries.
Keywords: The White Jade Radish; tobacco; intensive and extensive farming; White Jade Radish Festival; benefits of tourism
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