Centenary of Naming Penglai Rice, 235 Varieties Bred in Total
To mark the 100th anniversary of the naming of Penglai rice, the Ministry of Agriculture held a symposium, reflecting on its breeding history and emphasizing a future focus on sustainability and climate change adaptation.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 16:16
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Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, 24th) Penglai rice was named on April 24, 1926, exactly 100 years ago today. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's statistics, a total of 235 varieties of Penglai rice have been bred so far. The Ministry stated that in the early years, the varieties were meant to fill stomachs, later they were meant for good eating, and in the future, the pursuit will be toward environmental protection and sustainability.
The Ministry of Agriculture held the "Centenary of Penglai Rice: Taiwan-Japan International Agricultural Technology Exchange and Cooperation" symposium today. Scholars and experts from Taiwan and Japan remembered the efforts of their predecessors a century ago and expressed hope that future rice breeding will involve exchanging technologies and experiences to face the challenges of climate change.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Hu Jong-I said that in the early years, Taiwan mainly consumed Indica rice (Zailai rice). After the Japanese arrived in Taiwan, they introduced Japonica rice, which they were accustomed to eating. Initially facing difficulties with high temperatures and pests, they successfully test-planted it after improvements in 1920, gradually increasing the planting area. To distinguish it from Zailai rice, the Governor-General's Office named the successfully grown Japonica rice "Penglai rice" in 1926.
Hu Jong-I stated that over the past 100 years, Penglai rice has changed Taiwan's dietary habits, and various varieties have been developed successively. In the early days, it was about getting enough to eat; after economic takeoff, it was about eating well. Now, facing climate change, the future direction of breeding is how to make rice adapt to environmental challenges, how to save water through smart irrigation, and how to grow varieties that are more delicious and contribute to environmental protection and sustainability. He hopes Taiwan and Japan can exchange technology and experience with each other.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture's statistics, since Penglai rice was named, a total of 235 rice varieties have been bred.
Wu Chih-wen, Deputy Director of the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Ministry of Agriculture, introduced the different demands for Penglai rice varieties over the past century. Before 1970, in the early stages of Taiwan's economic boom, the public's requirement for rice was to get full. Breeding goals during this period focused on increasing yield, such as "Tainan No. 5," named and promoted in 1965.
After 1970, as living standards rose, the public's requirement was no longer just to be full, but to eat well. Improving rice quality became the most important breeding goal, and the bred varieties reached a certain standard of quality, with "Taikeng No. 9," named in 1993, being one of the representative varieties.
Since 2006, the demand for health has become a very important part. Eating healthily has become a basic and vital requirement for consumers, and high quality and safety are considered key items by rice breeders. In recent years, there has also been the breeding of varieties for diversified uses, such as specialty rice like Kaohsiung 147 (fragrant rice), Tainan 21 for brewing, Hualien 26 for risotto, and low-protein varieties.
Wu Chih-wen said that during the Japanese colonial period, various agricultural institutions actively engaged in rice variety improvement, laying a solid foundation for Taiwan's post-war rice breeding work. Taiwan joined the WTO on January 1, 2002, and the rice industry survived the pressure of international competition. After 100 years of Penglai rice, how to utilize booming breeding technologies and methods for the breeding of diversified, specialized, and distinctive varieties is the undeniable responsibility and mission of today's rice breeders. (Editor: Hsieh Ya-chu) 1150424
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(CNA Reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, 24th) Penglai rice was named on April 24, 1926, exactly 100 years ago today. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's statistics, a total of 235 varieties of Penglai rice have been bred so far. The Ministry stated that in the early years, the varieties were meant to fill stomachs, later they were meant for good eating, and in the future, the pursuit will be toward environmental protection and sustainability.
The Ministry of Agriculture held the "Centenary of Penglai Rice: Taiwan-Japan International Agricultural Technology Exchange and Cooperation" symposium today. Scholars and experts from Taiwan and Japan remembered the efforts of their predecessors a century ago and expressed hope that future rice breeding will involve exchanging technologies and experiences to face the challenges of climate change.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Hu Jong-I said that in the early years, Taiwan mainly consumed Indica rice (Zailai rice). After the Japanese arrived in Taiwan, they introduced Japonica rice, which they were accustomed to eating. Initially facing difficulties with high temperatures and pests, they successfully test-planted it after improvements in 1920, gradually increasing the planting area. To distinguish it from Zailai rice, the Governor-General's Office named the successfully grown Japonica rice "Penglai rice" in 1926.
Hu Jong-I stated that over the past 100 years, Penglai rice has changed Taiwan's dietary habits, and various varieties have been developed successively. In the early days, it was about getting enough to eat; after economic takeoff, it was about eating well. Now, facing climate change, the future direction of breeding is how to make rice adapt to environmental challenges, how to save water through smart irrigation, and how to grow varieties that are more delicious and contribute to environmental protection and sustainability. He hopes Taiwan and Japan can exchange technology and experience with each other.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture's statistics, since Penglai rice was named, a total of 235 rice varieties have been bred.
Wu Chih-wen, Deputy Director of the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Ministry of Agriculture, introduced the different demands for Penglai rice varieties over the past century. Before 1970, in the early stages of Taiwan's economic boom, the public's requirement for rice was to get full. Breeding goals during this period focused on increasing yield, such as "Tainan No. 5," named and promoted in 1965.
After 1970, as living standards rose, the public's requirement was no longer just to be full, but to eat well. Improving rice quality became the most important breeding goal, and the bred varieties reached a certain standard of quality, with "Taikeng No. 9," named in 1993, being one of the representative varieties.
Since 2006, the demand for health has become a very important part. Eating healthily has become a basic and vital requirement for consumers, and high quality and safety are considered key items by rice breeders. In recent years, there has also been the breeding of varieties for diversified uses, such as specialty rice like Kaohsiung 147 (fragrant rice), Tainan 21 for brewing, Hualien 26 for risotto, and low-protein varieties.
Wu Chih-wen said that during the Japanese colonial period, various agricultural institutions actively engaged in rice variety improvement, laying a solid foundation for Taiwan's post-war rice breeding work. Taiwan joined the WTO on January 1, 2002, and the rice industry survived the pressure of international competition. After 100 years of Penglai rice, how to utilize booming breeding technologies and methods for the breeding of diversified, specialized, and distinctive varieties is the undeniable responsibility and mission of today's rice breeders. (Editor: Hsieh Ya-chu) 1150424
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship from you is the power to guard press freedom
Download the CNA "First Hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly
The text, images, and audio/video on this website are not authorized to be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized.