In his 90s, Taitung farmer still hands-on in the rice paddies

Taipei, June 29 (CNA) At 91, Lo Mao-hsiang (羅茂祥) is still out in his fields in Taitung County every day, faithfully tending the rice he has grown for decades -- especially his favorite variety, "Ugly Beauty."

Lo is the oldest member of the Taitung Chishang Farmers' Association and still heads out to the fields, rain or shine.

For years, Lo was the last farmer in Taitung Valley still planting and harvesting rice the old way -- by hand, with water buffalo by his side. That changed 13 years ago, when he reluctantly replaced them with machines.

On the day he sold his two water buffalo, Lo stood at the edge of his nearly one-hectare field and thought he was bidding farewell to a way of life. But the fields pulled him back -- and to this day, he still cares for them, morning, noon and night.

In recent days, temperatures in Taitung County have soared above 36 degrees Celsius. Yet Lo, with a weed trimmer slung over his shoulder, kept clearing the edges of his fields with practiced ease.

At 91, Lo still moves with purpose through the summer heat, tidying the fields that helped raise his family. "It's almost time to harvest," he said. "I need to tidy up around the paddies."

Old hands, new machines

Lo began helping his parents in the rice paddies when he was 16. After finishing his military service, his father put him in charge of the family's one-hectare plot.

He told CNA on Saturday that the land he inherited was a patchwork of uneven plots. To preserve its natural shape, Lo stuck with traditional methods -- planting seedlings by hand and using water buffalo to plow and level the fields.

Water buffalo may be slow, Lo said, but they're strong and ideal for muddy work. Even so, he sold his last pair 13 years ago, shortly before turning 80. "It's time to retire, to leave the water-filled fields," he remembered thinking.

But that plan never materialized. When his children returned from the cities to help, they brought machines to level the land and transplant rice seedlings, allowing him to keep farming.

"Times have changed," he said. "Taiwan even had a female president, and the women in the Legislative Yuan are all eloquent speakers. Farming has to keep up with the times, too."

Lo said his children now use machines to assist with fieldwork, while he manages the farm. His son, present at the interview, said, "He simply can't stop working."

Steadfast love for 'Ugly Beauty'

Although he replaced his water buffalo with machines, the elderly farmer has never changed his preference for Ugly Beauty, a rice variety developed by the government-run Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station.

More than 30 years ago, Lo started growing Ugly Beauty, officially known as Kaohsiung No. 139. He's never stopped, attracted to its chewy and sticky texture, he said.

Since its debut in 1975, the rice variety has struggled in competitions because its grains lack the spotless whiteness and translucency often favored by judges.

However, its bouncy, springy texture helped Ugly Beauty become the first Taiwanese rice exported to Japan in late 2004, after Japan lifted a 33-year ban on Taiwanese rice, according to local media.

Ugly Beauty's unattractive look has led to fewer farmers growing it over time. Lo, one of the last contract farmers for the variety in Taiwan, said he has never considered entering his rice in competitions.

"Even if I entered, it wouldn't win," Lo said humbly. "What's really important is that everyone can enjoy a good meal."