台湾における寄接ぎナシ栽培の展開と生産地域の課題

亜熱帯に属する台湾では,高度に伴う気候の地域差を利用することによって日本品種のナシ栽培が行われたが,1970年代後半に寄接ぎによる栽培方法が確立すると,海抜高度の低い地域でも日本品種のナシ栽培が可能になった。本稿では,ナシ穂木の供給地として重要な日本との関係に着目しながら,寄接ぎナシ栽培の発展過程を検討し,農産物貿易が拡大する中で,生産地域にみられる対応について検討した。寄接ぎナシの重要な生産地域である台中県東勢鎮を対象として,東アジアという地域の枠組みと,生産地域のローカルな条件をふまえて,台湾の寄接ぎナシ生産の存立について考察した。日本品種ナシの寄接ぎによる栽培方法が確立すると,生産された寄接ぎナシは高値で取引されたため,1980年以降,東勢鎮で商業的寄接ぎナシ栽培が盛んに行われるようになった。寄接ぎナシ栽培の拡大に伴って,穂木の需要が供給を上回り,価格が高騰した。その結果,1988年から日本の穂木が輸入されるようになり,現在では台湾の寄接ぎナシ栽培に必要な穂木の半分近くを日本に依存している。生産面では,栽培に手間と人手を必要とするため,労働力の確保や高い生産コストなどの問題を抱えている。流通面では,ナシは保存性に優れているため,市場価格の動向に応じて,個人が出荷先や販売時期を判断している。また,WTO加盟後,韓国や日本から東洋ナシの輸入が急増している。台湾が寄接ぎナシ栽培を存続させていくためには,日本や韓国よりも早くナシを収穫することができるという利点を活用した生産と,国内での販売時期や自己消費用としての幅広い消費者層に対する販売の強化がより一層求められる。そのことが台湾の寄接ぎナシ生産地域の存立を可能にする。

By using altitudinal variation, cultivation of the Japanese type pear has been carried out in subtropical Taiwan. In the late 1970s when the grafting cultivation method was established, cultivation of the Japanese type pear became possible at lower altitude regions. This paper examines the development of grafted pear cultivation by looking at the relationship with Japan, a major supplier of pear tree cuttings, and Taiwan's pear-producing region in the globalizing economy. It also analyzes the potential for pear production in Taiwan. Intensive field studies were conducted in Dongshih town, Taichung county, which is Taiwan's most important grafted oriental pear-producing region. The oriental pears produced by the grafting cultivation method were sold at a high price in the domestic market, which has promoted the commercial production of grafted oriental pears since 1980. As the demand for grafted oriental pear cultivation from producers increased, it caused a rapid rise in the price of pear tree cuttings and a shortage of supply. In order to develop grafted oriental pear cultivation, pear tree cuttings started to be legally imported from Japan in 1988, which changed the time of grafting and changed the variety produced. Taiwan now depends on Japan for nearly half of the pear tree cuttings. Thus, Japan plays an important role in Taiwan's grafted oriental pear cultivation. Japanese pear farmers also get extra income by supplying pear tree cuttings. As grafted oriental pears are an attractive crop in terms of profitability, the younger generation, who are the core force in agriculture, engage considerably in grafting oriental pear production in Dongshih. However, Dongshih now faces such problems as labor shortage, high production costs, and lack of successors, especially in part‑time farming households due to the intensive farmwork. As to marketing, individual farmers are responding flexibly to fluctuating market prices, thanks to pears' excellent preserving quality. In addition, after Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization, Taiwan's import of oriental pears, especially from South Korea and Japan, rapidly increased because of the tariff quotas on oriental pears. An increased demand for pears produced in South Korea and Japan is anticipated in Taiwan for the mid-Autumn harvest festival and the Chinese New Year gift season. Therefore, import of oriental pears will concentrate on these two peak periods in the future as well. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to take advantage of harvesting earlier than Japan and South Korea in order to provide oriental pears to the domestic market. It is also necessary to further reinforce both the time of sale and marketing strategy of targeting general consumers, in order to continue producing grafted oriental pears and to further develop Taiwan's grafted oriental pear cultivation. This will enhance the significance of pear cultivation and contribute to maintaining the grafted oriental pear-producing region. A stable market price is desirable so that farmers can continue to engage in such production. To achieve this, it is necessary for Taiwan to cultivate on an appropriate scale and to adjust production. Furthermore, Taiwan also needs to provide domestically cultivated pear tree cuttings to reduce costs and to stabilize the supply of pear tree cuttings. For this purpose, it is important to position Lishan as a supply area of pear tree cuttings, and to make Lishan area's role clear in Taiwan's pear cultivation. Due to severe competition with the products from Japan, South Korea, and China in the global market, it is essential for Taiwan to develop a marketing strategy toward both markets and consumers as well as reducing production costs.