Lotus seeds are a common ingredient in many Taiwanese dishes, but lotus farmers suspect that climate change may be halving their crop yields. Farmers say the lotus plants have a delicate flowering process and unusual weather can impact seed production.
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00:00It's harvesting season for lotus seeds in Tainan, southern Taiwan.
00:04Most summers, ponds here are packed with flowering lotus plants.
00:07But this year is different.
00:09Farmers say unusual weather patterns in recent months have halved their crop yield.
00:30Lotus farmers say the plants have a delicate flowering process, sensitive to changing weather
00:41conditions.
00:42With climate change fueling drier weather, and fewer bees around to pollinate flowers,
00:47lotus plants aren't producing as many seeds.
00:58Lotus seeds are a common ingredient in many local dishes, but with smaller harvests, prices
01:03have already gone up in markets and restaurants.
01:18Tainan grows many of the lotus seeds consumed in the country.
01:22This year, local farmers have dedicated nearly 200 hectares to the lotus plant cultivation.
01:28But as climate change worsens, lotus seed farmers here are hoping their crop yields
01:32and businesses won't wither away, along with their plants.
01:35Yixin Chen and Wesley Lewis for Taiwan Plus.