Heavy rains cause agricultural disaster losses of over 100 million yuan; melons, fruits and leafy vegetables are hit hardest

Since last week, various parts of Taiwan, China have been hit by the consecutive effects of Typhoon Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey, with severe agricultural damage. According to statistics from the Council of Agriculture, as of last night, agricultural losses had reached 134.57 million yuan. The torrential rain brought by Typhoon Kong-rey yesterday caused flooding in many farming areas in central and southern Taiwan, China. Crops such as melons and leafy vegetables in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area that were close to harvest, as well as newly sown garlic and white radishes on the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Plain, all suffered severe losses.

Zhou Haoping, a researcher at the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, said that most of the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area was flooded yesterday, and frontline personnel could not move forward to survey the disaster. "What is relatively certain is that late-summer melons such as muskmelons, papayas, and cucumbers, as well as leafy vegetables such as bok choy, baby cabbage, cabbage, and sweet potato leaves, all suffered severe losses."

Zhou Haoping pointed out that muskmelons are mainly grown in the Mituo and Ziguan areas of Kaohsiung, while papayas are mainly grown in the Liugui area of Kaohsiung and the Changzhi area of Pingtung. Leafy vegetables, which always go out of stock and rise in price whenever a typhoon hits, are most prone to blight (commonly known as water damage) or bacterial soft rot after typhoon torrential rain. Zhou Haoping suggested, "Today, harvesting should be rushed as early as possible; otherwise, leaves soaked in water and exposed to the sun will definitely be beyond saving."