Formosa News
Date: 2018/02/25

Betel nut, also known as areca, has been grown in Taiwan for thousands of years. A mild stimulant, it’s actually a berry, used in rituals by indigenous Taiwanese peoples. In the 80s and 90s, chewing betel nut became a habit of builders as Taiwan’s concrete jungles sprang up, leading to soaring prices and plantations proliferating across the island.
But chewing betel nut also leads to oral cancer, and the plantations have a detrimental effect on soil quality. For a decade, the government has been trying to CURB betel nut farming. How much headway has it made? Let’s find out in our Sunday special report.

The farm worker extends his reaping hook, grasps the betel nut, and pulls down a bunch with one sharp tug.

Chao Chung-chuan has been growing betel nut for over 30 years, and is the largest areca supplier in Taiwan, with an areca palm plantation extending over 100 hectares. For him, betel nut is green gold.    [FULL  STORY]