An outbreak of heavy rain has left Taiwan's agricultural sector with losses of NT$621.27 million (£10.4m) and severe hikes in vegetable prices, according to the Council of Agriculture (COA).
COA officials said the rains and flash floods had caused severe damage to crops, with losses of NT$590.86m (£9.9m) and damage to 18339 hectares of fields -18 per cent of all farm land - destroying an estimated 3215 tonnes of produce.
The horticultural crops worst affected were watermelons, persimmons and grapes. H Orchards of pears, oranges, peaches were also affected, with the heavy rain washing away fruit from the trees.
The COA said it would provide cash aid and low-interest loans to compensate farmers of cantaloupe and watermelon crops.
Farmers in the badly hit counties of Taichung and Hsinchu counties will also receive governmental low-interest loans.
Meanwhile, vegetable prices have soared by as much as 100 per cent, with retail and wholesale prices seeing significant increases.
The wholesale price of spring onions rose to NT$130 (£2.17) per kilo as fields were flooded and the market depended on one viable region for total supplies.
Prices for water spinach were also affected, reaching NT$95 (£1.59), while the price of sweet potato leaves rose to NT$70 (£1.17)
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