Agricultural disaster losses soared to 35.5 billion last year. From meteorology to disaster prevention, how do we build "resilient agriculture"?

As the frequency and intensity of natural disasters increase, over the past five years the average annual agricultural loss for agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry has reached NT$13.7 billion; in year 105 alone, disaster losses soared to NT$35.5 billion. Compared with the average agricultural loss over the past twenty years, which mostly fell between NT$7 billion and NT$8 billion, it can only be described with the two words "soaring surge." How should agriculture, which depends on the weather, confront climate change and a future of worsening weather variability? Perhaps "resilience" is the real key.

Agricultural Research Institute: Agricultural weather stations to expand to 130 stations within four years

In the current environment of rapid weather change, gales, torrential rain, cold snaps, drought, heatwaves and the like all increase the uncertainty of agricultural operations. How can we prevent disasters before they occur, respond during disasters, and recover after disasters to reduce losses? "Government agencies should do their utmost to let farmers know about natural disaster meteorological information," said Chen Chun-chi, director of the Agricultural Research Institute.

Agricultural research units have already noticed the necessity of an "agricultural weather forecasting system." Chen Chun-chi said that in year 104, the number of agricultural weather stations across Taiwan was clearly insufficient, with only 16 agricultural weather stations set up island-wide; keenly aware that obtaining meteorological information is very important, the Agricultural Research Institute launched an expansion plan in year 105, choosing installation sites at disaster hotspots.

In fiscal year 105, agricultural weather stations across Taiwan expanded to 82 stations, and 17 more were added this year. Chen admitted frankly that current weather station sites are mainly in the west, and eastern sites will be added in the future, with the whole island expected to increase to 130 stations within four years.

With agricultural weather stations as a backstop, Chen Chun-chi said, the Agricultural Research Institute has also distilled from historical meteorological data the "nine major paths of light typhoons," and then, by matching these with the characteristics of crop production areas obtained from the Agriculture and Food Agency, high-risk areas can be overlaid, so that when a typhoon comes, farmers in high-risk areas can be warned to prevent disasters in advance.

In addition, the Agricultural Research Institute has also developed the "Early Disaster Warning Notification System APP." For example, when the temperature reaches a crop's heat-tolerance threshold and may cause high-temperature damage, the system will flash a red light; conversely, if it is not at a disaster-causing threshold, it will be a green light, with different actions for different crops for farmers to refer to.