The recent typhoon caused damage to calla taro in Taichung City. However, due to the different wind speeds measured in Dajia and Daan Districts, farmers in both places were similarly affected but could not receive the same compensation. (Photo by reporter Ou Sumei)
The Ministry of Agriculture promotes agricultural insurance. In order to increase farmers' willingness to insure, it subsidizes 50% of the premium, and increases the subsidy to 55% for renewal. Taking Taichung City as an example, the city government has increased the subsidy by 40%, and farmers only need to pay a minimum of 5% of the premium; Xu Zhengshi, a farmer in Gaojieli, Dongshi District, Taichung City, said that Hua Xiao Buying insurance is quite cost-effective. However, Dajia and Daan Districts in Taichung City were recently hit by wind damage. Due to the policy conditions, the wind speed must reach level 10 before a claim can be settled. The wind speeds measured in Dajia and Daan Districts were different in Dajia and Daan Districts. Farmers were also affected by the disaster, and the claims results were very different, which also triggered different reactions from farmers in the two places.
Xu Zhengzhi said that because high-end pears need to be grafted with ears, they are prone to cold damage. He buys insurance for cold damage to high-end pears every year. For the 1.4 hectares of high-end pears he grows, the annual premium is about 44,000 yuan. After paying in advance, the central and city governments will subsidize him. He only has to bear less than 10,000 yuan. If the high-end pears are damaged by cold damage, Xu Zhengzhi said If it reaches more than 20%, the Ministry of Agriculture will launch the "Agricultural Natural Disaster Relief Measures", providing a subsidy of 60,000 yuan per hectare, and the insurance company will pay compensation as agreed. It is very cost-effective. Almost all local Gaojie pear farmers are insured. There are many kinds of Gaojie pear insurance, including wind disaster, drought, etc., but he feels that cold damage is more serious, so he only takes out this insurance.
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In addition, calla taro is also included in the agricultural insurance project. Dajia and Daan Districts in Taichung City are both important production areas of water taro. The recent wind disaster caused damage to many taro fields in Dajia and Daan Districts. However, due to insurance conditions, the "maximum instantaneous wind speed" measured by the specified weather station must reach level 10 before claims can be initiated. Many taro farmers in Dajia and Daan Districts Although affected by the disaster at the same time, the measured wind speed in Da'an District reached level 10, and farmers received compensation, while in Da'an District, farmers failed to receive compensation because the wind speed did not reach level 10. Upon seeing this, the taro farmers in Da'an District became more willing to buy insurance; farmers in Da'an District showed a backlash of injustice and helplessness, which also caused farmers' subsequent low willingness to buy insurance.
The Taichung City Agriculture Bureau stated that some current agricultural insurances adopt meteorological parameter-based designs and use observation data from designated weather stations as the claim settlement standard. However, the location of some weather stations is limited by terrain or environment, and it is difficult to accurately observe strong winds or heavy rains in local areas. As a result, farmers' fields have actually suffered damage, but the data has not reached the compensation threshold and they cannot obtain claims. In addition, in the early stages of the promotion of emerging insurance products, if there is no significant successful case demonstration of claim settlement at the grassroots level, most farmers have a wait-and-see attitude.
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