Taichung’s second-phase rice crop failed and harvested less than 20%. Yang Qiongying called for urgent notification to seek cash assistance.

Typhoon Qiangbi's strong winds severely damaged the second phase of rice production in Taichung City.

Typhoon Qiangbi severely damaged the second phase of Taichung's rice crop. The originally golden and plump rice fields that were about to be harvested are now lodging in large areas, and the unlodged rice ears are also scorched and the grains are not full. Farmers want to cry without tears, saying that the harvest in some fields may be less than 20%! Legislator Yang Qiongying and city councilor Yang Qibang went to Waipu to investigate the disaster today, requesting the agricultural administration units to speed up the damage collection, assist farmers in reporting, and seek full cash assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture to reduce farmers' losses; the Agriculture Bureau stated that tomorrow the agency will strive to include rice in the cash assistance.

According to statistics from the Taichung City Agriculture Bureau, as of 4 p.m. on the 28th, the agricultural damage area caused by Typhoon Qiangbi in Taichung City was 1,084.34 hectares, the damage degree was 16%, and the loss amount had exceeded 59 million yuan.

Yang Qiongying and Yang Qibang today invited the Agricultural and Food Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Taichung District Agricultural Improvement Farm, the Taichung City Government Agricultural Bureau, Waipu District Mayor Cai Mingsong, and the Waipu District Farmers Association to inspect the Waipu rice fields to understand the damage situation. Looking around, the entire golden rice field is tilted here and there, some of the rice ears are close to the ground, and the rice ears that are not lodging are also scorched, making farmers worried.

According to the agricultural natural disaster relief standards, rice subsidies are 25,000 yuan per hectare, and the city government also provides a subsidy of about 1,800 yuan per hectare for re-cultivation materials. The rice cultivation area in Taichung is about 770 hectares. Currently, the Agriculture Bureau has received disaster damage notifications for only about 85 hectares, which has not yet reached the 20% rescue threshold. There are many actual disaster-affected farmland that have not yet been notified.

Typhoon Qiangbi caused damage to many crops and agricultural facilities in Taichung City. The Agriculture Bureau stated that the Ministry of Agriculture has announced that Taichung City’s citrus, soybeans, taro, sesame, hard corn, plastic cloth greenhouses, and horizontal scaffolding net rooms will be damaged. Apples, persimmons and pears in 35 areas including Qika Section in Heping District have met the conditions for agricultural natural disaster cash assistance and low-interest loans. From now until November 9, affected farmers can apply to the regional office where the farmland is located.

Legislator Yang Qiongying went to Waipu to investigate the disaster and asked the Agriculture Bureau and others to speed up the collection of disaster losses such as the second-phase rice crop and seek full cash assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture.