00:00Taiwan's rose growers are in trouble. Flower sellers say Taiwan's hot and humid climate
00:06isn't ideal for these flowers to begin with, but factors like unseasonable weather have led to
00:11a production slump since around 2011.
00:32Combine climate pressures with a labor shortage and the result is higher prices consumers may
00:38not want to pay. One farming couple in central Taiwan has seen it all unfold and knows what
00:44it takes to survive.
01:00But they've also found their own new direction.
01:12Their gem in particular has turned out to be a hit, and they have the perfect roses for
01:18the job, three types that would otherwise be discarded for their short flowering period
01:22and less than ideal appearance. It took hundreds of experiments with different varieties to find
01:28them. And early on, there were troubles convincing wary locals that rose petals aren't poisonous.
01:34But with grit, success has come. They've now won six gold medals in six consecutive gem
01:41competitions overseas. And as they grow without using pesticides, they're helping give a troubled
01:46industry a fresh road ahead. Hank Xu, John Van Trieste, and Irene Lin for Taiwan Plus.
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