Pingtung County urges faster disaster relief for August flood damage

Pingtung County is pushing for swift action to provide disaster relief to farmers affected by heavy rainfall in late August. The rains caused significant damage to agricultural products, with total losses for the county's agriculture, forestry, fishery, and livestock sectors estimated at NT$30.1 million as of August 28. This figure represents 18% of the total agricultural damage reported nationwide.

“

Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi instructed the Agriculture Department to strengthen contact with various township and city offices. For those who have used scientific methods (i.e., the agricultural natural disaster on-site photography APP) and uploaded their information within the application period, and whose farmland loss rate can be judged to be above 20%, they will be reported to the county government preferentially without on-site inspection, so that the county government can apply for funds from the Ministry of Agriculture in advance.

County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi has instructed the Agriculture Department to coordinate closely with township and city offices. The focus is on prioritizing applications from farmers who have used the "Agricultural Natural Disaster On-site Photography APP" to document damage exceeding 20% on their farmland. These cases will be fast-tracked for reporting to the county government, enabling prompt requests for funds from the Ministry of Agriculture.

The county government also noted that most cash relief applications for heavy rains in late June have been processed. Townships that have received funds from the Agriculture and Food Agency are urged to disburse them to farmers quickly to aid in recovery and replanting efforts.

“

We call on the mayors of all townships and cities in Pingtung County to pay attention to the rights and interests of farmers in their jurisdiction and to pay attention to the processing capacity of the township offices. If necessary, additional personnel should be added and training strengthened to assist in handling the number of application cases.

Agriculture Department Director Li Yong-wen appealed to township mayors to prioritize farmers' rights and manage their workload effectively, suggesting additional staff or training if necessary. Farmers are also encouraged to utilize the Ministry of Agriculture's app to record disaster damage from multiple angles, which helps township offices assess loss rates more efficiently and reduces the need for on-site inspections for every parcel of land. The county plans to conduct spot checks in several townships to ensure the process is moving smoothly.

“

We also ask farmers to make good use of the 'Agricultural Natural Disaster On-site Photography APP' developed by the Ministry of Agriculture to record the disaster situation, and to take photos from multiple angles of the farmland to provide to the township office for judging the loss rate to meet the relief standard, reducing the time for the township office to conduct on-site inspections for each plot of land.