Page 39 - An Overview of Penghu

Agriculture

Ÿ Farmers:

As of the end of 1930, there were 11,181 households, with a
total of 63,997 people in the Prefecture, among which 7,829
households, or 44,482 people, were engaged in agriculture. In
other words, almost 70% of the population in the Prefecture was
farmers.

Ÿ Fields:

There were neither irrigation infrastructure nor paddy fields
in the Prefecture. The total area of Hatake, or fields, was over
7,530 hectares, which means that each person owns only 0.11
hectares of land on average. This number shows a shortage of
farmland. Arable lands have all been developed, leaving farmers
with no more land to farm.

Ÿ Agricultural policies:

Before the Japanese takeover, Taiwanese people caused the
land to gradually become infertile because they did not pay
attention to improve breeds and manuring, leaving the job to
Mother Nature. In 1910, the government established the Penghu
Prefecture Farmers' Association and immediately engaged in plant
breeding by selecting excellent seeds from Taiwan and Japan.
Starting from vegetables first, the Association moved on to
improve sweet potatoes, peanuts, sorghum, and foxtail millet
through a series of adaptability tests; they then promoted the
excellent breeds they selected and encouraged people to grow
them. Although the policy produced good outcomes, it was still
not enough to make the Prefecture self-sufficient. To increase
production, the government has to address core issues first, such
as removing the obstacles caused by the weather and improving
farming techniques by building windbreaks made of straw and
clay and planting windbreak forests that protect fields.

Muskmelon, a specialty of Penghu
Ÿ Vegetables and fruits
There was a time when vegetables were scarce and
expensive, but vegetables have now become more affordable as a
wide range of them are being grown in the Prefecture. Moreover,
the government improved pumpkin, watermelon, oriental pickling
melon, and sponge gourd breeds, growing produce akin to that of
Taiwan. Revenues gained from fruits and vegetables reached
66,462 Taiwanese yen in 1930. Another specialty of the Prefecture
is muskmelons, which are planted and harvested well, with its
production increasing year by year. The number of muskmelons
produced was 19,000 in 1930, at 4,700 Taiwanese yen. A muskmelon orchard

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