Flood-related Agricultural Losses Rise To NT$580 Million

Fakhir Rizvi Published August 27, 2018 | 03:24 PM

Agricultural losses caused by flooding in central and southern Taiwan since Aug. 23 were estimated to have reached NT$580.22 million (US$18.89 million) as of 11 a.m. Monday,according to the latest update from the Council of Agriculture (COA).

Taipei, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Aug, 2018 ) :Agricultural losses caused by flooding in central and southern Taiwan since Aug. 23 were estimated to have reached NT$580.22 million (US$18.89 million) as of 11 a.m. Monday,according to the latest update from the Council of Agriculture (COA).

A tropical depression has triggered heavy rain since Thursday,inundating central and southern parts of Taiwan and causing severe losses to crops, fisheries and livestock.

Fisheries suffered the biggest losses at NT$314.46 million.

Milkfish was the hardest hit, with losses reaching NT$126.65 million,followed by losses in tilapia and barramundi, the COA data shows.Livestock recorded losses that totaled NT$181.91 million, mainly resulting from nearly 1.55 million chickens that have drowned in the flooding, as well as large numbers of pigs, ducks and geese.

As for crops, the losses were estimated at NT$82.71 million (including NT$940,000 in bee-raising losses) after 3,516 hectares of farmland was reported to have been flooded.

Peanuts were the worst hit, recording losses at NT$11.02 million after 739 hectares of peanut fields were flooded. Losses were also reported in pumpkins, gourds, tomatoes, watermelons and corn, the statistics indicate.

Chiayi County was hardest hit by the torrential rain, with about NT$403.65 million in agricultural losses, accounting for 70 percent of the total, COA data shows.

Tainan was the second-worst hit, with NT$113.27 million in losses, or 20 percent of the total, followed by Kaohsiung with NT$27.27 million (5 percent), Yunlin County with NT$27.01 million (5 percent),and Pingtung County NT$6.75 million (1 percent), the data indicates.

The COA said local governments in Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan,Kaohsiung and Pingtung will provide financial relief to farmers who have suffered losses due to the flooding.