Southern Taiwan's Second Rice Crop Irrigation Decision Awaits Plum Rain Season, Says Water Resources Agency
The Water Resources Agency announced that the decision on irrigation for southern Taiwan's second rice crop will be made after observing the plum rain season. While water levels in reservoirs like Zengwen Dam remain low, the first rice crop is expected to be completed by the end of May, with rainfall anticipated from the plum rain season starting in early June.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 18:28
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 19:02 (33 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 19:22 (20 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Hsieh I-hsuan, Taipei 12th) The low water levels in southern Taiwan's Zengwen and Lantan reservoirs, coupled with the dry season, have raised public concern about whether the second rice crop can be irrigated as scheduled. Water Resources Agency Director-General Lin Yuan-peng stated today that the first rice crop in the south is expected to be completed by the end of May. According to the Central Weather Administration's forecast, the plum rain season will begin in early June. The irrigation schedule for the second rice crop will be further evaluated based on the rainfall contribution from this period, with the final decision mainly from the agricultural sector.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Water Resources Agency website, as of 7 AM today, the Lantan Reservoir, which supplies water to the Chiayi area, had a water storage rate of 19.3%; the Zengwen Reservoir, which supplies water to the Chiayi and Tainan areas, was at 11.2%; as of 1 PM, the Agongdian Reservoir, which supplies water to the Kaohsiung area, was at approximately 9.6%.
Taiwan's Water Resources Agency held a "Flood Preparedness and Response" press conference today. Media asked whether the second rice crop irrigation would proceed as scheduled given the current water situation in the south. Water Resources Agency Director-General Lin Yuan-peng responded at the meeting, stating that the first rice crop in the south would be completed by the end of May. Subsequently, they would assess the plum rain situation to decide whether the second rice crop should start as scheduled or have its irrigation delayed. The decision would be made by mid-to-late June, or by early July at the latest.
Lin Yuan-peng explained that there has almost never been a situation where the second rice crop was completely without irrigation in the past. Currently, it is confirmed that the first rice crop can be completed as scheduled, and there is no major issue with whether the second rice crop starts as scheduled. The Jianan irrigation area still needs to await the plum rain situation for a final decision, but the agricultural sector's information will be primary.
Lin Yuan-peng stated that the last round of irrigation for the first rice crop in the south requires 10 million tons of water, and the overall reservoirs in the southern region will still have about 100 million tons of storage after the first rice crop ends. The Central Weather Administration predicts that the plum rain season will arrive in early June, bringing potential rainfall to the south.
Facing the challenges of the plum rain season, the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Water Resources Agency held a "Flood Preparedness and Response" press conference today to explain various disaster prevention preparations before the flood season, including actively strengthening local water conservancy facilities and equipment inspections to enhance overall disaster prevention capabilities. They also utilize AI and digital technologies to improve weather forecasting, flood image recognition, and smart disaster warning mechanisms, and widely deploy sensing equipment to grasp first-hand disaster information. (Editor: Pan Yi-ching) 1150512
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(Central News Agency reporter Hsieh I-hsuan, Taipei 12th) The low water levels in southern Taiwan's Zengwen and Lantan reservoirs, coupled with the dry season, have raised public concern about whether the second rice crop can be irrigated as scheduled. Water Resources Agency Director-General Lin Yuan-peng stated today that the first rice crop in the south is expected to be completed by the end of May. According to the Central Weather Administration's forecast, the plum rain season will begin in early June. The irrigation schedule for the second rice crop will be further evaluated based on the rainfall contribution from this period, with the final decision mainly from the agricultural sector.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Water Resources Agency website, as of 7 AM today, the Lantan Reservoir, which supplies water to the Chiayi area, had a water storage rate of 19.3%; the Zengwen Reservoir, which supplies water to the Chiayi and Tainan areas, was at 11.2%; as of 1 PM, the Agongdian Reservoir, which supplies water to the Kaohsiung area, was at approximately 9.6%.
Taiwan's Water Resources Agency held a "Flood Preparedness and Response" press conference today. Media asked whether the second rice crop irrigation would proceed as scheduled given the current water situation in the south. Water Resources Agency Director-General Lin Yuan-peng responded at the meeting, stating that the first rice crop in the south would be completed by the end of May. Subsequently, they would assess the plum rain situation to decide whether the second rice crop should start as scheduled or have its irrigation delayed. The decision would be made by mid-to-late June, or by early July at the latest.
Lin Yuan-peng explained that there has almost never been a situation where the second rice crop was completely without irrigation in the past. Currently, it is confirmed that the first rice crop can be completed as scheduled, and there is no major issue with whether the second rice crop starts as scheduled. The Jianan irrigation area still needs to await the plum rain situation for a final decision, but the agricultural sector's information will be primary.
Lin Yuan-peng stated that the last round of irrigation for the first rice crop in the south requires 10 million tons of water, and the overall reservoirs in the southern region will still have about 100 million tons of storage after the first rice crop ends. The Central Weather Administration predicts that the plum rain season will arrive in early June, bringing potential rainfall to the south.
Facing the challenges of the plum rain season, the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Water Resources Agency held a "Flood Preparedness and Response" press conference today to explain various disaster prevention preparations before the flood season, including actively strengthening local water conservancy facilities and equipment inspections to enhance overall disaster prevention capabilities. They also utilize AI and digital technologies to improve weather forecasting, flood image recognition, and smart disaster warning mechanisms, and widely deploy sensing equipment to grasp first-hand disaster information. (Editor: Pan Yi-ching) 1150512
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force for safeguarding journalistic freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.