2012/10/12 by CNA
Taipei, Oct. 12 (CNA) The agricultural tourism season is in full swing and colorful rice paddies in three areas of Taiwan have been attracting great attention in recent weeks.
Unique patterns have been created in rice paddies in Tainan City and Miaoli and Yunlin counties from Japonica and Indica rice strains, which are characterized by strong colors, explained local agricultural officials on Friday.
In Tainan, for example, a pattern featuring an image of a water buffalo created from purple Indica and green Japonica can be visited free of charge until the end of November, when the design will have grown out.
It took Lo Cheng-tsung, a director at the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, four months to design a water buffalo on a computer and replicate in a 1.77-hectare rice paddy.
"I am not that impressed with my own work," said Lo, who had never designed a rice paddy mural before.
"The buffalo looks too thin to me," he told CNA in a phone interview.
Nevertheless, hundreds of tourists flocked to see his creation over the past weekend, enjoying the unique artwork and the rustic charm of the countryside.
Lo and other officials contacted by CNA said besides artistry, they want to continue to explore the potential of agricultural tourism and perhaps develop a new business model.
"If you treat the rice paddies as billboards, a whole new niche market could be created," said Chang Su-chen, a researcher at a government agricultural station in Miaoli.
Chang said the station is encouraging local farmers to work with interested individuals or companies to grow specially designed rice paddies.
Patterns could include a company logo, a simple picture or even a marriage proposal. Such rice murals could turn traditional villages into cool tourist attractions, Chang said.
She said farmers will benefit from the partnerships due to the fees they will be paid and because they can sell the colored rice after the pattern has grown out.
The technological skill to create a blueprint of a design will be provided by the agricultural station for free, Chang said.
To allow for more room for creativity, Chang said, she and her colleagues are working to develop more colorful rice types.
"We have created white and light yellow strains so far," she said. "We will be able to treat the rice paddies as real canvases in the near future."
(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
ENDITEM/npw
Taipei, Oct. 12 (CNA) The agricultural tourism season is in full swing and colorful rice paddies in three areas of Taiwan have been attracting great attention in recent weeks.
Unique patterns have been created in rice paddies in Tainan City and Miaoli and Yunlin counties from Japonica and Indica rice strains, which are characterized by strong colors, explained local agricultural officials on Friday.
In Tainan, for example, a pattern featuring an image of a water buffalo created from purple Indica and green Japonica can be visited free of charge until the end of November, when the design will have grown out.
It took Lo Cheng-tsung, a director at the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, four months to design a water buffalo on a computer and replicate in a 1.77-hectare rice paddy.
"I am not that impressed with my own work," said Lo, who had never designed a rice paddy mural before.
"The buffalo looks too thin to me," he told CNA in a phone interview.
Nevertheless, hundreds of tourists flocked to see his creation over the past weekend, enjoying the unique artwork and the rustic charm of the countryside.
Lo and other officials contacted by CNA said besides artistry, they want to continue to explore the potential of agricultural tourism and perhaps develop a new business model.
"If you treat the rice paddies as billboards, a whole new niche market could be created," said Chang Su-chen, a researcher at a government agricultural station in Miaoli.
Chang said the station is encouraging local farmers to work with interested individuals or companies to grow specially designed rice paddies.
Patterns could include a company logo, a simple picture or even a marriage proposal. Such rice murals could turn traditional villages into cool tourist attractions, Chang said.
She said farmers will benefit from the partnerships due to the fees they will be paid and because they can sell the colored rice after the pattern has grown out.
The technological skill to create a blueprint of a design will be provided by the agricultural station for free, Chang said.
To allow for more room for creativity, Chang said, she and her colleagues are working to develop more colorful rice types.
"We have created white and light yellow strains so far," she said. "We will be able to treat the rice paddies as real canvases in the near future."
(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
ENDITEM/npw
