Persimmons are popular in Taiwan, where people travel hours to buy bags and boxes of the sweet dried fruit to take home to their families or give away to friends. But changing weather and an ageing population are posing a threat to the century-old industry, forcing some farmers to look at alternative ways to maximise returns -- or get out altogether. Persimmon farmer Lo Chih-neng says his harvest was down by more than a third in 2024, Taiwan's hottest year on record, after some of his trees failed to bloom and two typhoons in October stripped many of their leaves and fruit. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES