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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》Rains cause NT$57m loss in agriculture, COA says
A truck is stranded in floodwaters on the campus of Wan-Li Junior High School in New Taipei City’s Wanli District yesterday. Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Education Bureau
WASHED OUT: Rice farmers were worst hit by the rain, suffering losses of more than NT$10 million, the COA said, adding that the aquaculture sector also sustained losses
/ Staff writer, with CNA
Agricultural losses caused by torrential rains across the nation reached NT$57.52 million （US$1.95 million） as of 5pm yesterday, according to an initial estimate by the Council of Agriculture （COA）.
Agricultural losses were heaviest in Yunlin County at NT$24.21 million, or 42 percent of the total, the council said.
The county government’s estimate was NT$24 million.
New Taipei City farmers suffered NT$13.33 million in damage, or 23 percent of the total, according to council figures.
Chiayi suffered a loss of NT$9.58 million, followed by Changhua at NT$4.23 million, the figures showed.
Crop damage accounted for most of the losses, with 2,462 hectares of farmland and crops valued at NT$30.74 million sustaining damage, the council said.
Rice farmers were worst hit by the downpours, suffering crop losses valued at NT$11.46 million and damage to 1,305 hectares of farmland, it said.
Farmers who grow watermelons, peanuts, corn and leafy vegetables also suffered heavy losses, the council added.
The livestock sector suffered NT$5.5 million in losses, largely due to deaths in chickens and ducks, the council said, adding that losses in the aquaculture sector reached NT$1.76 million.
Damage to agricultural facilities and farmland totaled at least NT$2 million, mainly due to fields that were buried under debris or inundated, with New Taipei City and Yunlin County incurring the heaviest losses, it said.
The torrential rains also caused damage to 138 schools, with the loss estimated at about NT$44.49 million as of yesterday morning, according to the Ministry of Education.
Most of the damage occurred in New Taipei City, where 43 schools were damaged, followed by Taipei with 33 schools, the ministry said.
New Taipei City schools sustained the heaviest loss at NT$20.32 million, Yunlin County at about NT$10.09 million and Taipei at NT$9.98 million.
Aletheia University in New Taipei City suffered the heaviest loss at NT$15.5 million, followed by Lintou Elementary School in Yunlin, which sustained NT$8 million of damage, and Anhsin kindergarten in Keelung at NT$3.13 million, according to the ministry.
A child was injured in a traffic accident on Friday while riding on a scooter with his parent on the way to a kindergarten in New Taipei City’s Beitou District （北投）.
The child was hospitalized and did not sustain life-threatening injuries, the ministry said.
Repairing and improving infrastructure and traffic facilities that were affected by flooding is a good starting point for urban renewal, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je （柯文哲） told a meeting at the Taipei Department of Transportation on Saturday.
He said the timing of the floods was good, as it leaves ample time to repair the facilities for August’s Taipei Summer Universiade.
The floods have helped highlight the areas where structural improvements are needed, he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） Taipei City Councilor William Hsu （徐弘庭） criticized Ko’s emphasis on the Universiade, saying the mayor did not have sympathy for people affected by the flood.
Ko said he did not mean to take pleasure in other people’s misfortune by saying that the heavy rain was “a good thing,” adding that Hsu’s criticism took his words out of context.
Ko said he was willing to apologize if he has upset people.
Additional reporting by Lee I-chia
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
Council of Agriculture Minister Lin Tsung-hsien, fourth right, inspects crop damage in Yunlin County’s Siluo Township yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Council of Agriculture
A yam field in Yunlin County yesterday is submerged in mud brought in by floodwaters following days of heavy rain. Photo: CNA
