Poor Fruit Set in Hualien Pomelos: Agricultural Authorities Survey Damage, Seek Cash Relief

Major pomelo-producing areas in Hualien County, including Ruisui Township, Yuli Township, and Zhuoxi Township, have been affected by insufficient rainfall in March, leading to poor fruit set rates. The Hualien County Government has convened agricultural authorities to survey the damage and assist farmers in applying for natural disaster cash relief.

According to the Hualien County Government's Department of Agriculture, rainfall in the Hualien area was low in March this year, resulting in insufficient water supply during the pomelo growing period. This affected flowering, pollination, and fruit set, causing a significant decline in fruit set rates in some orchards.

A survey team composed of units including the Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Eastern District Branch of the Agriculture and Food Agency conducted on-site inspections. The affected area in Ruisui Township is approximately 288 hectares, in Yuli Township approximately 56 hectares, and in Zhuoxi Township approximately 8 hectares. The damage level in all areas exceeds 20%, meeting the criteria for initiating agricultural natural disaster cash relief.

According to statistics from the Ruisui Township Office, which has the highest production volume, the planting area for the first crop of pomelos this year is approximately 624.58 hectares. Based on recent farmer reports and preliminary assessments, the area affected by poor fruiting is approximately 288.16 hectares, accounting for nearly half of the total planting area.

Ruisui Township Mayor Wu Wan-de stated that pomelos are one of Ruisui's key specialty agricultural products and a primary source of income for many farming families. This year's flowering period was affected by climatic factors such as drastic temperature changes and abnormal rainfall patterns, leading to poor pollination and severe fruit drop in some orchards, resulting in heavy losses for farmers.

Upon receiving reports from farmers, the township office immediately compiled data and requested joint inspections by relevant units. The goal is to use professional assessments to understand the actual disaster situation and actively seek natural disaster relief and related subsidy measures from the central government to alleviate farmers' economic pressure and protect their rights and livelihoods.

The county government pointed out that climate change has intensified in recent years, increasing the frequency of extreme weather events and posing severe challenges to agricultural production. It will continue to report local agricultural disaster situations to the central government and will cooperate with relevant units to provide technical guidance and post-disaster recovery assistance, standing with farmers to face climate risks.