3 Grape Economy-Home page

As the core production area of Taiwan's grape industry, the economic structure of Dacun Township in Changhua County has developed over the past half-century since the introduction of the Kyoho Grape variety in the 1960s, and has formed a complete industrial chain covering production technology innovation, market channel expansion, consumer demand transformation, and the integration of tourism and agriculture. According to statistics from the Taichung Agricultural Improvement Farm of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dacun Township's current grape growing area is maintained at a stable level of 400 to 500 hectares, accounting for nearly 50% of Taiwan's total fresh grapes production, a figure that emphasizes its status as the "hometown of grapes". Historically, the area reached a peak of 700 hectares of cultivation in the 1970s, but the consumer market shifted toward higher quality, which led to a shift in the industrial structure from a "mass-production" model to a "boutique" model. The results of this transformation are reflected in the performance of the production value, which reached NT$2.95 billion in 2017, a 98.13% increase from 2008, showing that the quality improvement strategy has successfully brought about economic benefits.

In terms of industrial technology, farmers in Dacun have developed a "dual harvest per year" cultivation system through academic-industry cooperation with the Taichung District Agricultural Improvement Station. This system effectively disperses market supply pressure by having both summer and winter harvest seasons. By adhering to safe pesticide regulations and popularizing bagging techniques, the residue testing pass rate for the fruit remains above 99%. This quality assurance has become key to expanding into high-end markets. In terms of market structure, in addition to traditional auction channels, a direct sales model for tourist fruit picking has been developed in recent years. This new type of sales channel now accounts for 15% of total production, demonstrating the trend of diversified industry management. Overall, the Dacun grape economy is currently in a phase where both "quality economy" and "experience economy" are advancing simultaneously. In 2024, the Tourism and Cultural Festival attracted more than 6,000 visitors on a single day, confirming the synergistic results of this industry's transformation.