To promote the development of the under-forest economy industry in Taitung, after nearly a year of preparation under the active guidance and accompaniment of the Taitung Forest District Office, forest owners in Taitung's Tongkuang area officially convened a meeting yesterday (16th) for the establishment of the "Limited Liability Taitung County Tongkuang Forestry Production Cooperative." The initiative includes the lands of 13 local forest owners from Shangde Village of Donghe Township, Luanshan Village of Yanping Township, as well as more than 35 hectares of forest land. The Cooperative will integrate forest production resources into the production of log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms and become the first forestry cooperative in the Taitung region to focus on the production of log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms. The first election of the board of directors and supervisors was held at the same time, and three directors and supervisors were elected, with Mr. Lee Ching-Liang elected as the chairman of the board. Many distinguished guests attended the meeting to offer their congratulations, including Legislator Liu Chao-Hao; Wang Chih-Hui, Vice Magistrate of Taitung County; Hsu Chia-Hao, Director of the Taitung County Agriculture Department; Chi Ming-Hua, Secretary of the Taitung County Council; Yang Chun-Kuei, Manager of the Innovation Incubation Center of National Taitung University; and Wu Po-Cheng, General Manager of Taitung Agricultural Products Co., Ltd. It is with great hope that after the establishment of the Cooperative, it will become a highlight for eco-friendly agricultural production and a leader in the development of the under-forest economy industry in Taitung.
The Taitung Forest District Office pointed out that before the Forestry Bureau officially promoted the major policy of under-forest economy, it had invited forest owners of the Tongkuang area who were willing to invest in the production of log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms to participate in the pilot demonstration program. During this period, visits and observation tours outside the county were arranged, while the Taitung Forest District Office assisted with the procurement of the logs, mushroom spawns, and teaching of fungiculture techniques. The establishment of the Cooperative was officially announced to the public with the assistance and cooperation of the Taitung County Government guidance unit. The Cooperative's main forestry operation and production sites are located in the coastal mountain ranges with abundant forest resources, which also happen to be leased afforestation sites of the 7th, 8th, and 18th forest compartments in the Chenggong working circle under the management of the Taitung Forest District Office. The main tree species planted in the area include Indian chestnut, common elaeocarpus, Taiwanese sweet gum, and Taiwan acacia, all of which are suitable materials for the production of log-cultivated mushrooms. In addition, the humid climate and moderate temperature of the area provide an excellent environment for the production of under-forest log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms.
To effectively utilize and manage forest resources, the Taitung Forest District Office has appointed Chen Chaur-Tzuhn and his team from the Taipei Forestry Technologist Association since September 2020 to provide guidance to forest owners in inventorying existing forest resources and planning their long-term cultivation and utilization. It is hoped that they will be able to provide a stable supply of logs and develop a more diversified and sustainable forest industry. After the establishment of the Cooperative, the Taitung Forest District Office will continue to provide guidance according to the forest management plan proposed by the Cooperative. The aim is to enhance the development value of the under-forest economy through optimizing the marketing platform and developing diversified under-forest agricultural products.
Wu Chang-Yu, director of the Taitung Forest District Office, said that since the official launch of the major development policy of under-forest economy in 2019, the Taitung Forest District Office has been actively providing guidance to forest owners, communities, and tribal partners to invest in related industries. At present, the number of items launched under the under-forest economy policy has increased to four products after the addition of Taiwan wild tea at the end of last year (2021). After mentoring the Rikavon tribal community to begin under-forest beekeeping and establishing a forestry cooperative last year (2021), it has been followed by the "Limited Liability Taitung County Tongkuang Forestry Production Cooperative" officially established today, which marks an important milestone in the promotion of the under-forest economy in the Taitung region. In the future, the Taitung Forest District Office will continue to provide information and training courses on a regional basis to strengthen the guidance of farmers and local partners who wish to join the endeavors. We also hope to bring together students to establish partnerships based on geographic relations, which will lead to the expansion of cooperative business models and reduce production costs. In turn, it will lead to the establishment of forestry cooperatives and introduce a range of sustainable guidance measures for the forestry industry, so that farmers' livelihoods can be boosted and their income increased before the harvesting of trees during the long timber growing period. At the same time, we hope to guide the management of forest land towards sustainable and diversified development and revitalize the economy of the local industry. We look forward to working together with forest owners, communities, and tribal partners under the premise of sustainable management of the forest ecosystem and resources.
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