The estimated agricultural losses resulting from the cold snap that hit the nation last week topped NT$2.46 billion (US$73.2 million), statistics released by the Council of Agriculture showed yesterday.
The latest loss estimate from last week’s cold front was up from an earlier estimate of NT$1.7 billion released on Thursday.
Council Secretary-General Tai Yu-yen (戴玉燕) said the updated estimate was a new high from December 1999, in terms of damage caused by cold weather.
Last week’s cold front, the most serious in a decade, engulfed Taiwan over the weekend. Weather stations in low-lying areas of Taipei, Hsinchu County and Chiayi County observed soft hail (graupel) for the first time since the stations were established.
While record-low temperatures were not recorded in all regions, all 28 national weather stations recorded their lowest temperatures for the season.
As of 11am yesterday, council data showed Tainan suffered the heaviest agricultural losses.
The damage has been estimated at NT$1.19 billion, accounting for 48 percent of the nation’s total losses.
Kaohsiung followed with agricultural losses of NT$821 million, making up about 33 percent of the national total, followed by Chiayi County, which recorded NT$128 million in agricultural losses.
Yunlin County rounded out the top four worst hit with NT$76.51 million in farm damage, statistics showed.
Fishery losses were the largest among the sectors affected, the council said.
Data showed estimated losses in the sector hit NT$2.18 billion yesterday morning with milkfish, grouper, clams, tilapia and striped bass being the hardest hit.
Crop losses were estimated at a total of NT$276 million as of yesterday morning. A total of 5,024 hectares of crops were damaged, with grapes hit the hardest, followed by pears, tomatoes, tangerines and strawberries.
Livestock damage totaled NT$640,000 with the loss of pigs, eggs, chickens and ostriches, while damages to agricultural facilities totaled NT$3.78 million due to the bad weather, the council said.
Farmers who suffered losses are eligible for financial aid from Tuesday this week until Thursday next week to help their production return to normal.
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