The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday updated the estimated agricultural losses caused by Wednesday’s massive earthquake to NT$76.04 million (US$2.37 million), confined to Hualien County near the quake’s epicenter.
The quake measured 7.2 on the Richter scale and magnitude 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale.
As of 11am yesterday, damage to crops, agricultural products and private facilities in Hualien stood at about NT$42.06 million, the ministry said.
Photo: AFP
An estimated NT$10,000 of that covered the destruction of crops such as the edible fungi known colloquially as wood ear mushrooms, it added.
Agricultural damage in the county was spread over 0.3 hectares, the ministry said, adding that 30 percent of the crops, or 0.09 hectares were totally destroyed.
Hualien, which was hit hardest as it was close to the epicenter of the quake, also recorded NT$50,000 in livestock losses, mainly pigs, the ministry said.
Damage to livestock facilities and loss of animal feed totaled NT$1.05 million, it said.
The earthquake destroyed private agricultural facilities in Hualien worth an estimated NT$42 million, including NT$40.95 million worth of broken fishing nets and other fishery equipment, the ministry said.
The county’s public agricultural infrastructure sustained NT$33.98 million in damages, NT$20 million of which covered soil and water conservation infrastructure, it said.
In other news, service between Jhonghe and Dapinglin stations on New Taipei Metro’s Circular (Yellow) Line was restored yesterday after the entire line was closed for safety checks due to the quake, the New Taipei City Government said.
For the time being, trains in the newly reopened section would operate at 10-minute intervals, and shuttle bus services would continue to be offered free of charge along the whole Circular Line route, it said.
The most serious damage on the Circular Line involved box girders that were thrown out of alignment between Bansin and Jhongyuan stations.
However, repairs to the Banciao-Jhonghe section are expected to be “conducted over the long term,” due to the extent of the damage, the city government has said.
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