The Hsuehchia area was originally a producer of dry-field crops such as corn and sorghum, but the steady rains of the spring monsoon meant farmers were effectively limited to a single autumn crop. When Taiwan entered the WTO in 2002, many small local growers couldn't compete with imported produce.
台南學甲一帶，原本以玉米、高粱等旱作為主，2002 年初台灣加入 WTO 後開放進口農產品，競爭力不足的本土小農節節敗退，加上春作時梅雨綿綿，收成頗差，因此一期作物休耕、二期才耕種，成為農民普遍的選擇。