The Agriculture and Food Agency yesterday called on agricultural workers to take preventive measures to reduce potential crop and financial losses during the flooding period starting this month.
Agricultural workers are advised to monitor weather forecasts and take disaster preventive measures, as heavy rain and typhoons are more likely to occur and cause crop losses during the flooding period that runs from this month to November, the agency said.
Drainage systems for farms should be reinforced and tree support equipment such as braces or anchors should be in place in advance, it said.
Photo: Tung Chen-kuo, Taipei Times
Greenhouses or screen houses should be covered with a plastic net or nonwoven fabric for protection, and checked for structural soundness, the agency said, adding that damaged items should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
Agricultural facilities related to production, processing, storage or distribution, as well as water and power facilities, should also be checked to ensure stable supply of agricultural products, it said, adding that seeds or seedlings can be prepared in advance for prompt recultivation following disasters.
The agency also called on agricultural workers to stay safe while engaging in disaster prevention work and let professionals do riskier tasks such as examining roofs.
Personal safety should be prioritized during severe meteorological events, while garbage and puddles on farmland should be cleared to maintain a healthy environment, the agency said.
Fertilization management and pest control should also be increased after a natural disaster to ensure the quantity and quality of agricultural production, it said.
Agricultural workers are advised to report any losses caused by natural disasters to the local township or district office, the agency said.
They can submit photographs to demonstrate the damage, the locations of the farms and adjacent farms, with dates of the photographs and satellite positioning information provided for reference, it said.
The photographs can be taken using their own mobile phones or cameras or the “agricultural natural disaster on-site photographing” app developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, it added.
The agency has already asked local authorities to take photographs of crops that are about to be harvested or would require speedy post-disaster recultivation, the agency said, adding that local governments would help with recultivation and reconstruction as required by law.
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