Taiwan typhoon

Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) has said that agricultural losses from Typhoon Sinlaku have topped US$22m, following torrential rains and high winds that hit parts of the country on Sunday (14 September).

Crops hardest hit include grapes, bananas, guavas, shallots, Chinese chives, persimmons, papayas and tangerines, the COA said.

Damage to crops has accounted for US$14.6m of the damage cost, with farmland and farming facilities suffering US$4.87m worth of damage.

Regionally, Nantou County was the hardest-hit area, with losses totalling US$5.43m, followed by Yilan with US$5.41m worth of losses. Miaoli (US$2m) and Chiayi (US$1.35m) also suffered considerable agricultural damage, the COA reported.

The storm, which is the thirteenth to hit the region this year, has left 12 people dead, 10 missing and a further 20 injured, according to the latest local media reports.