Over the six months, we have explored the industry of guava with the help of our teachers. Guava plantation is seeable in our life, yet it seems so strange to us at the very start. We have known the basics of guava cultivation and experienced the hardships and happiness of the guava farmers. Now guava has become a familiar fruit and left a deep impression for us. We have also designed a questionnaire to investigate the schoolmates’ parents that grow guava as a living, so as to better understand the current conditions and problems of the Pearl guava in Xizhou. We proffer several suggestions for the sustainability and a bright future of the Pearl guava.

An Investigation for Current Condition and Predicament
Duration:１２/２４~２８/2012
Subjects:：The schoolmates’ parents who grow guavas as a living.
Copies of delivered questionnaires:５０
Effective copies:４４
1.Basic information: age, gender, name, address and educational background

2.Would you please tell us your experience in growing guavas?

(1)When did you start to grow guavas? Why did you decide to take this as your occupation? How long did you stay in this walk of life?

(2)Are there other family members in this line of work except you?

(3)What is the area for guava plantation?

(4)What are the regular affairs to attend to in the guava farm? What kind of knowledge or technique is required of this work?

(5)What challenges would you face in planting guavas?

(6)Please share with us your ideas in taking this as a career.

3.Questions about selling

(1)Which markets do you sell the guavas?

(2)How about the selling price?

(3)Have you encountered any problems in selling guavas?

4.Revenues

(1)What income do you have each year?

(2)What’s the cost for guava plantation for a year if the labor cost is excluded?

(3)What’s the profit for guava plantation for a year if the labor gains are excluded?

5.In your opinion, what the government agency can do for guava farmers to facilitate the development of the guava industry in Xizhou Township?
Analytical results:

• Gender

• Age

The results have shown that the parents that grown Pearl guavas are mostly aged between 41~60 males (56.5%), followed by those over 60 (25%) and those below the age of 40 (15.9%).

• Educational Background

It is shown by the Table that the parents are mostly graduated from primary school or junior high school (66%). Those who graduated from senior high school or vocational school only occupy 22.7%.

• The Length of Time to Grow Guavas

It is shown by the Table that those less than ten years’ experience occupy 56.8%, followed by those with 11~20 years’ experience (34.1%).

• The number of laborers in a household

It is shown by the Table that the number of laborers is mostly two persons (63.65%), superseded by one person by 9.1%.

• The area of guava plantation

It is shown by the table above that the area of guava plantation is mostly of grades 1~3 (43.2%), followed by grades 4~6 (20.5%) and grades 7~9 (18.25%). The average area is rather large, which requires considerable manpower and time to finish the work.

• The average income of the surveyed farmers

It is shown by the Table above that the average income of these parents is below TWD500,000 (70.5%).

• The total cost of guava plantation per year (labor cost excluded)

• The profits garnered by the surveyed farmers (labor earning excluded).

From the above Table, the parents that grown Pearl guava have an average profit gains between TWD 50,000 and 200,000. This is a relatively low profit.

• What kind of problems have you encountered in selling guavas?

　　The results have indicated that the major challenges that are faced with the farmers include overproduction, high costs, the threats of typhoons and deluges, pests, labor shortage, thieves (when the price of guavas soars), and how to improve the quality of guavas.
            Firstly, overproduction comes from the farmers’ attitude toward guava plantation. Once the price of guavas soars, farmers plant guavas without further consideration, and have to face overproduction a couple of months later. Whenever we see the guavas falling on the ground with no farmer willing to pick them, we feel a pang of regrets. 
    Secondly, typhoons, according to the farmers, are No.1 threat to guavas. Whenever a typhoon strikes, they would have no choice but to garner the guavas all at once; otherwise, the downpour brought by typhoons would destroy the roots of the guava trees. Yet a typhoon would make the selling price of guavas increase, which is a saving grace to the farmers.

• What kind of actions do the government or authority concerned have to do to improve the guava industry of Xizhou Township?

What is your take on the future development of Xizhou Township’s guava industry?

• Enhance marketing strategies and make Xizhou’s guava visible to the country (via newspapers or other media).
• Continue with research on new species and promote them around the world.
• The government helps to resolve the problem of overproduction and unstable supply and demand.
• Expand the scale of exportation and solve the problem of price fluctuation caused by overproduction.

Future Visions

We hope that Pearl guava could reach a stable price in the next years with a wider variety of species. After a brainstorming of our team members, we have proffered a few suggestions for the future development of Pearl guava:  To conduct village’s reading clubs or seminars so that the farmers’ professional skills can be enhanced. During the interviews, we have found that some farmers winced at attending the production and marketing seminars. In the production and marketing groups, members can exchange experience with others, and can receive subsidy when purchasing tools. Meanwhile, the Farmers’ Association would first contact the members of the production and marketing group; therefore it might be wise to join the group to have better opportunities. [Photos of the group members as below]

The government shall encourage the subsidized peasants to do more research in new species and attract consumers accordingly. Some of the farmers would want to maintain a stable living without paying much consideration into innovative approaches. Yet the deputy leader of the production and marketing group remarked he has been doing research in improving the species so as to make more money. The authority concerned shall help with inviting more experts to the village and do research work with the local peasants. We suggest that the Xizhou Farmers’ Association put forth efforts to create a brand of the Pearl guava by conducting activities such as the creative mark or mascot of Pearl guava contest, so as to appeal to the public to join the interesting and meaningful contest and increase the visibility of Pearl guavas. Thereafter, every Pearl guava from Xizhou can be pasted with a specific mark.

• We hope that the farmers’ association may assist local peasants to build online platform and instruct them about online selling. By so doing, Pearl guavas can sell more widely across the island, and the production of guavas can be stabilized with a better price.