Changhua County faces over NT$60 million in agricultural losses after typhoon rains

Changhua County in Taiwan has suffered extensive agricultural damage exceeding NT$60 million due to heavy rains from Typhoon Mikla's outer bands and a southerly airflow. While the weather has cleared, local township offices are still compiling official damage reports, and the county government anticipates the total losses will climb. The agricultural sector, a vital part of the region's economy, faces a grim outlook as fields and orchards were submerged.

The impact is particularly severe for certain crops. The Erlin winery grape harvest has been significantly affected, with over half of the crop unrecoverable and standard grapes experiencing over 30% cracking and falling. Dragon fruit, ready for harvest in July, has also suffered greatly. In Dacheng, Fangyuan, and Fuxing townships, sweet potato fields have been inundated, leading to rot.

Farmers describe their orchards and fields transformed into "swimming pools" by the deluge. Crops that were bagged and ready for harvest, like guavas, are now submerged, and farmers fear they will rot once the water recedes and the sun intensifies. The situation has left many feeling helpless as they survey the damage. The County Agriculture Department is reminding farmers to photograph and document the flood damage, including timestamps and location data, and to report it to their local offices within the announced period to be eligible for government assistance, such as cash relief and low-interest loans.

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The orchard became a swimming pool, and even the guava trees, which are relatively short, were half-submerged in floodwaters. The fruits that had been bagged and were ready for harvest were soaking in the water. Seeing this made our hearts turn cold.