Hualien County Celebrates 2025 Farmers’ Day and Honors Top Tea Oil Camellia Seed Growers as Camellia Oil Maintains National Quality Leadership

(中央社訊息服務20251211 14:34:03)To honor the farmers who have long worked to protect and sustain the land, the Hualien County Government held its 2025 Farmers’ Day Celebration on the morning of November 27 at the Parkview Hotel Hualien. The event brought together local farmers, agricultural associations, and government agencies in a warm and festive atmosphere. During the ceremony, the county also presented awards for the 2025 Hualien Camellia Seed Quality Evaluation, recognizing outstanding growers and celebrating the region’s achievements in seed ripeness control, post-harvest processing, and oil extraction—securing Hualien’s reputation as a national leader in camellia oil production.

County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei noted that Hualien has the largest cultivated area of Camellia oleifera in Taiwan, totaling 268 hectares, and was the first county to establish a standardized evaluation system for camellia seeds. From scattered plantings in the early days to today’s integrated industry that includes harvesting, oil pressing, and brand promotion, this progress is the result of years of hard work by farmers, sustainable land practices, and accumulated technical expertise. The county government will continue to promote processing upgrades, quality certification, branding and marketing, and distribution channel development, to boost the visibility and consumer recognition of “Hualien Camellia Oil.”

This year’s evaluation assessed entries using objective indicators including seed freshness, oil content, moisture level, and acid value. According to national regulations, the acid value of Grade 1 Camellia oil must be lower than 1.5 mg KOH/g. Most entries from Hualien this year achieved acid values between 0.3 and 0.7 mg KOH/g, far surpassing the national standard. These outstanding results reflect efficient harvesting, rapid post-harvest drying, and hygienic oil processing practices—demonstrating consistently high product quality and setting an example for camellia oil producers across Taiwan.

Serving as chief judge, Dr. Yang Cheng-Chuan of the Seed Research Laboratory at the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute noted that Hualien offers ideal growing conditions for Camellia trees, including suitable climate, good drainage, and ample sunlight. This year’s entries showed high seed maturity and stable oil content, while farmers’ careful timing in harvesting and drying effectively lowered acid values. The results, he said, highlight significant advancements throughout the entire production chain, from field management to oil processing.

In the 2025 evaluation, the Gold Award was presented to Abu Farm (Yeh Bu-Shen) in Ruisui Township and Xinxuan Farm (Tsai Ming-Li) in Fenglin Township. Abu Farm received this honor for the fourth year in a row. The Silver Award went to Luyi Tea Oil Camellia Seedling Nursery (Wang Te-Yi) in Zhuoxi Township, Muchongyuan Farm (Lee Hsin-Cheng) in Yuli Township, and Changliang Natural Eco Farm (Lien Chung-Te). The Bronze Award was given to Gengniao Gongshi (Lee Chien-Kuo) in Zhuoxi Township and Shiduotian Organic Kucha Tea Garden (Chang Ping-Chen) in Fuli Township. All winners were recognized for excellence in seed quality, freshness, and oil production, reflecting the overall strength and consistency of Hualien’s Camellia-growing regions.

Mayor Hsu further emphasized that since 2017, the Hualien County Government has systematically promoted the camellia oil industry. Over the past nine years, efforts have expanded from cultivation and post-harvest drying techniques to upgrading processing facilities and establishing an annual evaluation system. She thanked the Yuxi Area Farmers’ Association for its continued collaboration and credited local farmers for their perseverance. Looking ahead, the county will continue to improve product quality and processing capabilities. At the same time, it will strengthen branding, marketing, and distribution strategies to build Hualien Camellia Oil into a leading premium agricultural brand and ensure that local farmers receive the recognition they deserve.