Summer is approaching, which means this seasons’ vegetables are right around the corner. However, drought conditions in southern Taiwan are making some vegetables harder to come by.
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Green bamboo shoots have a curved, horn-like shape and are the most popular variety of bamboo shoots to consume in Taiwan. This time of the year is the most productive period for this vegetable, but bamboo shoot harvests went down by 20-30% due to the persisting drought conditions in southern Taiwan.
A local authority says farmers have consequently been using groundwater to grow the bamboo shoots instead of rainwater, which can make the bamboo shoots lose their tender texture.
Bamboo shoot quantity and quality have decreased, and prices have increased by 20%. Average costs of one catty, or 0.6 kilograms, of bamboo shoots have been priced around NT$90 (US$3). However, one catty has reached as high as NT$150 (US$5).
One woman says to cook their family-favorite dish, the bamboo shoot soup with pork ribs, for five people will cost around NT$500 (US$16), and this price is a little too expensive to stomach.
One farmer adds that this increase in price is not actually benefiting the farmers but instead it is going into the distributors’ pockets.
The recent heavy downpours across Taiwan have helped supply rainwater, but, if the drought conditions continue, people who enjoy bamboo shoots in the summer might have to dig deeper into their pockets.