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Intermittent heavy rain causes about 10% of Houbi rice crop to lodge

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Continuous intermittent rainfall in Tainan's Houbi district has caused about 10% of the rice crop to lodge, impacting farmers' income.
  • The high moisture content of the unharvested rice has led to a drop in the purchase price of wet grain, causing financial strain.
  • Local officials are monitoring the situation and may report severe damage to agricultural authorities if the situation worsens.

Intermittent heavy rain over three days has caused lodging in about 10% of the early-season rice crop in Tainan's "rice bowl" district of Houbi. The unharvested rice, with high moisture content due to the rain, has seen its purchase price drop by NT$30 per 100 kilograms, significantly impacting farmers' incomes.

Houbi District Chief Li Chih-pin noted that over 30% of the district's early-season rice, spanning more than 3,000 hectares, remains unharvested. He observed that about 40% of the rice ears have lodged, with the Taichung No. 84 variety showing more severe lodging than Tainan No. 11.

— Li Chih-pinDescribing the extent of the damage to the rice crop in Houbi District.

Houbi District Chief Li Chih-pin and Councilor Li Tsung-han inspected the lodged rice fields on Wednesday. Li Chih-pin noted that over 30% of the district's early-season rice, spanning more than 3,000 hectares, remains unharvested. He observed that about 40% of the rice ears have lodged, with the Taichung No. 84 variety showing more severe lodging than Tainan No. 11.

The rain, which began on June 8, has made it difficult for harvesting machines to access fields, particularly in areas like Toukou and Chingliao where a significant amount of rice is yet to be harvested or is not yet mature. Councilor Li Tsung-han highlighted that the increased moisture content requires time-consuming drying, leading to a drop in the wet grain purchase price. He urged the government to help stabilize rice prices, as many farmers face delays at grain collection points due to full silos.

The rain, which began on June 8, has made it difficult for harvesting machines to access fields... He urged the government to help stabilize rice prices, as many farmers face delays at grain collection points due to full silos.

— Li Tsung-hanExplaining the impact of the rain on harvesting and grain collection, and calling for government intervention.

Farmers in surrounding areas like Dongshan, Baihe, Xiaying, and Liuying are also worried about further rain causing more lodging and affecting prices. The early-season rice price opened at NT$1,090 per 100 kilograms of wet grain this year. Houbi District Farmers' Association General Manager Lin Yi-hsin stated that while some harvesting occurred sporadically on June 8, no work was possible for the following two days due to rain. The association's purchase price for wet grain started at NT$1,060, with further adjustments based on grain quality.

The early-season rice price opened at NT$1,090 per 100 kilograms of wet grain this year. Houbi District Farmers' Association General Manager Lin Yi-hsin stated that while some harvesting occurred sporadically on June 8, no work was possible for the following two days due to rain. The association's purchase price for wet grain started at NT$1,060, with further adjustments based on grain quality.

— Lin Yi-hsinProviding details on the opening rice prices and the impact of the rain on recent transactions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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