Cold weather triggers a strawberry boom on the plains — three major varieties shine bright red

The “Apple” strawberry has large, bright red berries with a slightly tangy taste, often used for cake decoration. (Photo by Wang Wenji)

The star variety No. 1 “Honey Fragrance,” developed by Xu Mingxing, has medium-sized fruits and boasts strong disease resistance, excellent sweetness, and stable yields. (Photo by Wang Wenji)

Visitors bring their children to pick strawberries at the farm. (Photo by Wang Wenji)

Strawberry farmer Xu Mingxing is dedicated to developing new varieties. In recent years, he has introduced Tianlai No. 1 “Apple Strawberry” and star variety No. 1 “Honey Fragrance Strawberry.” (Photo by Wang Wenji)

After picking, kids wash and eat the strawberries on the spot — one after another, they’re incredibly juicy. (Photo by Wang Wenji)

“Strawberry World” sightseeing orchard currently sells for NT$399 per Taiwan catty, with prices expected to drop steadily until the end of the season. (Photo by Wang Wenji)

The plains strawberry harvest has begun. Strawberry farmer Xu Mingxing from Dahu in Miaoli has set up a sightseeing orchard in Juxing Village, Tanzi District. This year, he planted over 200,000 strawberry seedlings. Recently, higher temperatures slowed their growth, but with the recent large day-night temperature variations, his 5-hectare strawberry farm has entered a boom phase, with varieties such as Honey Fragrance, Perfume, and Apple entering their first peak flowering period.

Xu Mingxing has been growing strawberries for over 30 years and was once honored with the God of Agriculture Award. In recent years, he has focused on cultivating new strawberry seedling varieties, successively introducing Tianlai No. 1 “Apple Strawberry” and star variety No. 1 “Honey Fragrance Strawberry.” He said that strawberry plants are most vulnerable to anthracnose disease, but the new varieties offer strong disease resistance, excellent sweetness, attractive fruit shape, and stable yields.

Sightseeing strawberry orchards are densely located in Miaoli’s Dahu area. Over a decade ago, Xu Mingxing moved away from the main competition zone to Houli to start anew, running the “Strawberry World” sightseeing orchard. Three years ago, he relocated to Tanzi, and this year expanded the area to 5 hectares. Through careful nutrient management and eco-friendly farming practices, the strawberries produced have tested negative for all 310 types of pesticides examined by National Chung Hsing University.

“Strawberry World” sightseeing orchard rests and rejuvenates the land every summer and autumn. Strawberry seedlings are planted in late autumn, and the picking season runs from mid-December to April of the following year. On non-holiday mornings before 10 a.m., the strawberry farm begins to see crowds of pickers. A resident from Dali said that based on online reviews, they gathered a group of friends to visit — no need to travel all the way to Miaoli, it’s very convenient.

A local elderly man also came to buy strawberries on-site. He said that although the current price is NT$399 per catty, which is a bit high, buying directly from the farmer guarantees freshly picked berries that are both beautiful and delicious. Xu Mingxing said that the farm currently focuses on three major varieties: “Honey Fragrance” has a medium-sized fruit and high sweetness, while “Perfume” and “Apple” have large berries and bright red color — the latter has a slight tanginess and is often used for cake decoration.