The Council of Agriculture (COA) yesterday announced it would increase the amount of low-interest loans offered to grouper fish farmers who suffered losses from Typhoon Morakot.
The move is part of the government’s efforts to reconstruct the devastated fisheries industry.
“The damage caused to the nation’s grouper fish farms — concentrated in Pingtung County’s Linbian (林邊), Jiadong (佳冬) and Fangliao (枋寮) townships — has been the most severe in a century, causing extremely heavy losses,” Fisheries Agency Director-General Chen Tien-shou (陳添壽) said.
LEADING POSITION
The three townships had 766 hectares of grouper fish farms last year with annual revenues of more than NT$3.2 billion (US$973,000), Chen said.
“If we do not help these fish farmers restore their farms, not only will Taiwan lose its position as the world’s leader in cultured grouper farming, it will also be difficult to restore the townships’ economies to their original levels,” he said.
The council said it would increase low-interest loans, issued according to Agricultural Natural Disaster Relief Regulations (農業天然災害救助辦法), from NT$1 million per hectare of grouper fish farm, to NT$5 million, Chen said.
“Brindle grouper fish farms would be eligible for even more, at NT$8 million per hectare,” he said.
LOW INTEREST RATE
The funds would be lent in the form of seven-year loans, with a 1 percent interest rate, Chen said.
“We hope to return the nation’s grouper fish farms back to their original production capacity by 2012, with a goal to increase that amount by 2015, so that Taiwan can maintain its global leading position in grouper culturing,” Chen said.
OTHERS ELIGIBLE
Owners of other types of seafood farms can also apply for the loans, Chen said, with the amount of money lent determined by the type of fish crops.
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