Taichung 6, a new bean variety, has high yield and great potential for export to Japan.

The main producing areas of edamame beans are in the Gaoping area, but edamame beans cannot be produced in winter, and the industry hopes to fill this gap with soybeans. Taichung District Agricultural improvement Farm announced on the 25th that "Taichung 6" dwarf beans, which can be used for mechanized harvesting and cold chain equipment of edamame beans, have obtained variety rights in March this year, and there is great potential for export to Japan. In the 108 Green Environment payment Program, dwarf beans have also been added to the "main crop items for export" to encourage farmers to grow.

The gap between October and February every year is the gap of edamame beans. In order to fill this gap, the industry expects to fill it with kidney beans. According to the Taiwan Frozen fruits and vegetables Association, Japan imported 20, 4800 tons of beans last year, mainly from China and Thailand, accounting for 55 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

Taichung 6 is palatable and suitable for mechanical harvesting.

Common kidney beans are vine beans, which need to build shelves to cling to, which can not be harvested mechanically and reach the scale of export. Taichung No. 6 dwarf beans launched in Taichung for six years have the characteristics of dark green pod color, ungluten silk, high sweetness, plant dwarfism, good upright, suitable for mechanical harvesting, and can be harvested 55 to 65 days after sowing, with a maximum yield of 1 metric ton per cent.

Chen Wei-ling, an associate researcher at Taiwan Middle Field, said that in the past, the sales volume of frozen beans in Taiwan was as high as 10, 4000 tons, with an output value of 500 million. Later, due to rising labor costs, the industry gradually moved to China and other places. In recent years, due to food safety concerns, increased labor harvesting costs and other factors, the Japanese side asked whether Taiwan could produce and supply, so Taichung 6, a variety suitable for cultivation in Taiwan, was developed by Taichung.

Lin Hsueh-shih, director of Taichung, said that Taichung 6 developed by Taichung not only has good palatability, but also has the characteristics of consistent maturity and one-time harvest, which can be used for mechanized harvesting of edamame beans, cold chain equipment, and so on. Kidney beans are suitable for planting in winter and are expected to fill the gap in the production period of edamame beans. They can be planted not only in the Gaoping area, but also in the central region. At present, 60 hectares of dwarf beans have been planted, and it is estimated that the subsequent planting area will reach 400 hectares.