The coast of Yunlin is a place where farmers and fishermen alike produce food for Taiwan. In the current cold snap, the area has seen temperatures dip below 10 degrees. That can be dangerous for fish and harm plant crops too. We paid a visit to local producers to see how they''re protecting their harvest from the ravages of winter.
It’s a freezing cold day, and fish farmers are up at dawn to tend to their ponds.
They pipe water from under the ground into the ponds. It’s warmer than seawater and helps regulate the temperature for the fish. With this cold snap, the coastland is colder than ever. Milkfish are not amenable to cold weather and are vulnerable to freeze to death.
Fish farmer
The fishponds are quite shallow and so is the water. When it’s shallow, if the temperature drops, it will easily reach the pond where the milkfish can’t stand the cold.
Crops as well as fish are susceptible to the cold.
This farmer swiftly harvests ripe green peppers. They’re quickly cosmetically damaged by a cold wind, she says, and that will make them harder to sell.
Farmer
Covering them with this prevents them from getting frozen. They get damaged by the wind which is bad – the price will drop. You cover them like this.
She showed us how to wrap up a row of peppers with these transparent roofs, or cover them with straw, both of which protect against wind and cold.
Farmer
If they’re not covered they won’t grow big. And they’ll grow in a messy shape and get frost marks, that’s all.
Both fishermen and farmers are deeply impacted by the cold snap. While most of us are huddled up indoors to keep warm, they’re out in the elements working to keep their harvest safe.