Persimmon predicament in Taiwan as harvests fall and temperatures rise

Taiwanese persimmon farmer Lo Chih-neng stands on a ladder in his sprawling orchard using secateurs to cut the golden-yellow fruit still hanging from branches after enduring a tough season.

Persimmons are popular in Taiwan. People travel hours to buy bags and boxes of the sweet dried fruit to take home to their families or give away to friends.

But changing weather and an ageing population are posing a threat to the century-old industry, forcing some farmers to look at alternative ways to maximise returns – or get out altogether.

Lo’s harvest was down by more than a third in 2024, Taiwan’s hottest year on record, after some of his trees failed to bloom and two typhoons in October stripped many of their leaves and fruit.

“The yield has dropped by quite a lot, at least a third or more,” says Lo, 65, from his farm where persimmon trees carpet a valley in Dongshi district, in the central west of the island.