The heavy downpours that battered Taiwan last week have caused at least NT$24.51 million (US$812,720) in losses to farmers, with most of the damage concentrated in Hualien, Taitung, Yilan and Pingtung counties, according to the Council of Agriculture (COA).
Taitung County was the worst affected out of 22 cities and counties, as agricultural losses there totaled NT$13.46 million, more than half of the national total.
Hualien County farms followed closely behind with NT$9.82 million in losses, or about 40 percent of the national total, while Yilan County farms lost about NT$769,000 due to the inclement weather.
Photo: Chang Yi-chen, Taipei Times
Crop losses reached at least NT$12.8 million, as 197 hectares of rice paddies sustained damage, accounting for NT$4.51 million of the total crop losses.
Other contributors included damaged ginger, vegetables, cabbages, scallions, corn, papayas and other fruits.
Livestock farms, primarily poultry farms, reported rain-induced losses of at least NT$3.46 million, while the aquaculture sector suffered losses of NT$1.84 million, in tilapia and clam farming.
The heavy rains also caused an estimated NT$6.4 million in damage to farm facilities.
The preliminary figures were released at 5pm yesterday and could rise in coming days as more information is collected.
The Executive Yuan said affected farmers could apply for cash remedies and low-interest loans from local governments within seven days after the disaster.
Other people can apply for a variety of tax deductions for property damages, Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said.
The government would its best to carry out reconstruction and rehabilitation works, he said.
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