蓮霧農業的跨縣市連結與產銷調適：從嘉義縣梅山鄉擴散到南投縣信義鄉的個案

Abstract

南投縣信義鄉生產的蓮霧，在果菜拍賣市場屢創佳績，其中許多果農來自於嘉義縣梅山鄉，呈現跨縣市兩地栽培。本文利用Bowler的「農糧鏈」概念來論述信義鄉和梅山鄉蓮霧的產銷運作，並解釋蓮霧從梅山鄉擴散至信義鄉的過程與調適。 本文利用文獻蒐集、田野訪談獲得資料，研究結果發現，民國70年代，梅山蓮霧栽培技術主要從高屏地區習得，包括蓋黑網遮光處理、環刻剝皮法，以進行產期調整，將蓮霧延後到夏、秋季生產，是為第一次技術調適。民國80年代，林忠平父子從梅山將苗栽帶進信義，成為信義鄉蓮霧的先驅。初期跟進的信義果農因管理失衡，致使果園荒廢。民國90年代，隨著梅山蓮霧出現大規模死亡、品質下降等現象。此時信義的優良自然環境，可生產高品質的蓮霧，使得梅山果農開始移動到信義承租土地來栽培蓮霧。 蓮霧產業從梅山擴散到信義的在地調適，在生產結構方面，技術進行第二次調整，然而，信義的勞力與生產資材上的短缺，於是果農將高工資的梅山蓮霧工團體引進信義。藉由產期調整，使得果農可進行跨縣市兩地栽培工作。在產銷結構方面，除可利用信義各銷售管道外，也可利用信義農會的共同運銷，而不會有果品滯銷的風險。在外部因素方面，信義的產銷班和農會的輔導與推廣，深得果農讚許，然而，因信義土地產權關係，使得梅山蓮霧果農在信義投入時，得先克服土地取得問題。而信義原住民族群在蓮霧產業投入率是偏低的。 整體而言，在農糧鏈內部的農業產銷從投入、生產、加工、分配、消費的過程中，果農會盡可能在產銷過程中，降低各種壓力，在新環境的栽培上，能更快進行在地調適。在農糧鏈外部的因素上，由於信義優良的自然環境，以及信義產銷班、信義農會等均給予梅山果農更大的合作空間，使得梅山果農能更有動力與信心，在信義投入栽培。The wax apples from Xinyi Township, Nantou, have continuously made remarkable achievement at the fruit and vegetable auction market. While there are many fruit farmers who come from Meishan Township, Chiayi, the wax apples are cross-county cultivated by the two counties. In this paper, Bowler’s “agriculture food chain” is used to discuss the production and marketing operation of wax apples of Xinyi Township and Meishan Township, and to explain the transplanting process and adaptation of wax apples from Meishan to Xinyi Township The principal methods of this paper are literature collection and field interview. The result shows that the fruit farmers of Meishan Township mainly learned the cultivation techniques for wax apples from Kaohsiung-Pingtung area during the 1980s. The techniques include shade culture and girdling in order to conduct regular production, delaying the production season to summer and autumn. It is considered the first technical adjustment. During the 1990s, Lin, Chun-Ping and his son, who become the pioneers of wax apples in Xinyi Township afterwards, brought the seedling from Meishan back to Xinyi and. However, the fruit farmers who followed the transplantation at the early stage had the orchard abandoned due to imbalanced management. In the 2000s, while the wax apples in Meishan had died massively and the quality become worse, the high-quality wax apples yielded by Xinyi’s fine natural environment had made farmers of Meishan move to Xinyi, renting land to cultivate wax apples. There are three aspects of the local adaptation of transplanting wax apples from Meishan to Xinyi. From the aspect of the production structure, there is a second technical adjustment. However, as there are shortages of labor and production material, the Meishan workers with high wages are introduced to Xinyi. By adjusting the production season, the fruit farmers are able to conduct cross-county cultivation. From the aspect of the production and marketing structure, there would be no risk of unsalable fruit thanks to Xinyi’s channel of distribution, and the co-operative marketing by Xinyi Farmer’s Association. As for the aspect of external factors, the program of production and marketing in Xinyi and the promotion and guidance of the farmer’s association are notably praised by the fruit farmers. Nevertheless, since there is issue of the property right of the land in Xinyi, the Meishan fruit farmers would need to solve the problem of land acquisition before plunging in. The aborigines in Xinyi seldom work in the industry of wax apples. In conclusion, the fruit farmers would reduce pressure from production and marketing as far as possible during the process of investment, production, manufacturing, distribution, and consumption which are the internal factors in the agriculture food chain. Besides, local adaptation could be conducted earlier in the new environment. As for the external factor of the agriculture food chain, with excellent natural environment and the cooperation between the program of production and marketing in Xinyi and Xinyi Farmer’s Association, the fruit farmers from Meishan have gained more flexibility and confidence in cultivating in Xinyi.