Typhoon Qiangbi's strong winds have severely damaged Taichung's agriculture. Statistics from the Taichung City Agriculture Bureau as of this morning show that the damaged area in Taichung City has reached 339.42 hectares, with losses exceeding 20 million yuan. Legislator Yang Qiong-ying today invited the Agriculture and Food Administration and others to discuss the damage to Tanzi bamboo shoots and Houli hard corn and potatoes. She called on the Ministry of Agriculture to announce a full range of agricultural natural disaster cash assistance as soon as possible to help farmers tide over the difficulties.
The green bamboo shoots planting area in Tanzi District exceeds 200 hectares. Strong winds have caused the bamboos to break, tilt and even be uprooted. Bamboo leaves have also fallen off in large numbers. Bamboo farmers are worried that not only their efforts this year have been in vain, but also next year's bamboo shoot harvest will be affected.
In the Houli District, large areas of hard corn plants are swaying, with some leaves turning yellow and the tips of the leaves turning black. This phenomenon is commonly known as "rotting". Farmers are worried that after the damaged leaves are exposed to the scorching sun, they may gradually dry up and die, making it almost impossible to save them. The potato fields are also suffering heavy losses, with a large number of potato seedlings lodging and branches. The strips were broken and water accumulated in some fields. Farmers are worried that subsequent exposure to high temperatures will cause the roots and seed potatoes to rot due to lack of oxygen, and the plants will gradually die. Farmers said that the costs of seedlings, fertilizers and labor are rising, and they may lose all their money in a storm. They hope that the government will increase the amount of assistance and reduce the burden of re-cultivation.
Yang Hongying, director of the Taichung District Agricultural Improvement Field, pointed out that green bamboo plants are affected by wind disasters. Not only are the branches and leaves damaged, but the underground roots may also be loosened due to violent shaking of the plants, affecting nutrient absorption and storage. The mother bamboo plays an important role in supplying nutrients for the growth of bamboo shoots in the coming year. Once damaged, coupled with a large number of leaf drops and insufficient photosynthesis, it may cause a reduction in the shoot rate next year, poor bamboo shoot growth, and even delay the production period. Farmers are recommended to prune the damaged branches appropriately, apply organic fertilizers and strengthen the soil cover to help the roots and the mother bamboo recover and avoid continued weakening of the plant, which will affect subsequent bamboo shoot production.
In addition, after potato seedlings are hit by strong winds, wounds can easily become pathways for pathogenic bacteria to invade. If there is stagnant water in the field, it is more likely to cause disease. Yang Hongying suggested that farmers remove the stagnant water as soon as possible and apply fungicides and insecticides in a timely manner according to the disease and pest conditions in the field and approved medication regulations to reduce secondary losses.
According to the current agricultural natural disaster relief standards, cash assistance is 41,000 yuan per hectare for bamboo shoots, and the city government provides an additional subsidy of about 3,600 yuan for re-cultivation materials; hard corn assistance is 28,000 yuan per hectare, and the city government subsidy is about 2,500 yuan; potatoes are 47,000 yuan per hectare, and the city government subsidy is about 3,600 yuan. Follow-up will be handled in conjunction with disaster damage reports and central announcements.
Yang Qiongying said that the amount of agricultural natural disaster relief has been increased twice in the past seven years. However, in the face of frequent extreme weather and rising agricultural production costs in recent years, we should continue to review and adhere to the principle of "quickness, leniency, and simplicity" and require the Ministry of Agriculture to announce all cash relief items as soon as possible.
