Taiwan: agricultural damage due to downpour exceeds nt$1.4 billion (US$ 45.16 mln)

Premier Frank Hsieh Thursday promised farmers in Yunlin County who have sustained tremendous damage caused by downpours that have entered a sixth day that compensation and subsidies will be paid in 10 days to help tide them over their difficulties. Hsieh also renewed calls for the Legislative Yuan to prioritize a bill for an eight-year, NT$80 billion (US$2.539 billion) flood-control project if it convenes an extra session next month. Hsieh made the remarks when he made an inspection tour of the south-central county of Yunlin to see at first hand the damage brought about in recent days by flash flooding.

Several legislators from across the political spectrum who traveled with the premier on the fact-finding tour expressed worry over the government's resolve to help the flood victims, saying that if the government did not deliver on its promise in 10 days, they will give Hsieh and relevant agencies a hard time. The Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) reported that damage caused by flash floods around the country have continued to expand, with the agriculture sector bearing the brunt, suffering damage worth over NT$1.4 billion (US$45.16 million) as of Thursday afternoon.

Most of the damage was centered in southern Taiwan, especially Pingtung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi and Yunlin counties, where low-lying areas have been inundated. Of the damage, crops had sustained damage exceeding NT$600 million, with some 34,790 hectares of rice paddies and peanut, green vegetable, watermelon, corn and papaya plantations inundated, COA officials reported. The husbandry sector had suffered damage worth about NT$180 million, with over 10,000 head of pigs, 143,000 chickens and many other animals and poultry killed.

In the southern county of Tainan, about half of its townships and rural townships had been inundated, with floodwater about 1 meter high in Yukang, Chinghu and Kunchiang villages in Peimen township. Soldiers have been sent to help evacuate or rescue affected residents in six rural townships around Tainan County, where 28 bridges had become impassable, according to COA authorities. Meanwhile, the Central Disaster Prevention and Relief Center reported that as of midnight Wednesday, 433 people had been rescued and 2,297 people evacuated islandwide.

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