Premier Jiang Yi-huah visited Taichung City and Yilan County today to inspect the agricultural losses caused by Typhoon Soulik and directed the Council of Agriculture to stand with disadvantaged farmers and proactively provide them with aid.
After seeing the damage caused to the mushroom houses at Taichung's Xinshe Township this morning, Jiang told journalists that in terms of agriculture, rice fields and fruit trees sustained the most damage islandwide, and Yilan and Taichung were among the districts that suffered the most.
The strong wind and downpour brought by the typhoon blew some farmers' mushroom houses down and broke open some of the spawn bags protecting their produce from contamination. The premier said he had instructed the military to help clear up the mess so that the farmers can resume cultivation as soon as possible.
"According to the Implementation Rules of Agricultural Natural Disaster Relief, mushroom farmers can file applications for special subsidies, with reimbursement of NT$48,000 (US$1,604) per hectare of lost mushrooms and $184,000 (US$6,147) per hectare of destruction of mushroom houses," indicated the premier. He stressed the government will offer assistance to any mushroom farmers who suffered damage and meet the requirements for subsidies in the hope of helping return their lives to normal as soon as possible.
The premier then went to Taichung's Dongshi Township to inspect the damage done by the typhoon to the pear plantations there and requested the COA to be proactive in offering pear growers assistance.
Afterward, Jiang drove to Sanxing Township, Yilan County to inspect the damage Typhoon Soulik inflicted on its rice paddies and scallions and express his sympathy to affected farmers.
The premier noted that the typhoon made landfall at Yilan, so the county was the first to be harmed by its strong winds and torrential rain, which wrecked a large expanse of rice and scallion fields. He instructed the COA to swiftly conduct inspections and offer generous aid to all farmers who qualify for it.
As of 9 a.m. today, agricultural losses due to the typhoon totaled NT$273.98 million (US$9.15 million) across 14 counties and special municipalities, according to the COA. The breakdown of losses by county and municipality is as follows:
- Yilan County: NT$86.95 million (US$2.9 million)
- Nantou County: NT$56.58 million (US$1.89 million)
- New Taipei City: NT$29.13 million (US$973,000)
- Miaoli County: NT$24.24 million (US$810,000)
- Taichung City: NT$19.76 million (US$660,000)
- Taitung County: NT$18.56 million (US$620,000)
- Taoyuan County: NT$15.49 million (US$518,000)
- Hsinchu County: NT$12.68 million (US$424,000)
- Changhua County: NT$3.27 million (US$109,000)
- Kaohsiung City: NT$3.06 million (US$102,000)
- Hualien County: NT$1.81 million (US$60,000)
- Chiayi County: NT$1.26 million (US$42,000)
- Chiayi City: NT$690,000 (US$23,000)
- Tainan City: NT$510,000 (US$17,000)
Accompanying the premier on his inspection were Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chen Wei-zen and Spokesperson Cheng Li-wun; Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Minister Sung Yu-hsieh; COA Deputy Minister Chen Wen-deh and Executive Yuan Office of Disaster Management Director-General Shih Tseng-kang.