(1) Agriculture sector reconstruction

　Following Typhoon Morakot, the COA’s first step was to assist in emergency disease control and debris removal. Utilizing broad, rapid, and straightforward measures, the COA continued to provide technical consulting services and financial relief along with guidance and reconstruction measures for farming, fishery, and livestock industries. We expect that these industries can quickly return to their full production and marketing capacities, stabilizing supply and returning farmers’ and fishermen’s lives back to normal. The need for reconstruction provides an opportunity to strengthen the agricultural sector and its competitiveness at the same time. By the end of 2009, distribution of agricultural natural disaster cash assistance reached 99.99% completion. We also established 15 technical service groups who assisted agricultural households and firms during reconstruction. The groups convened 2,215 times providing aid in over 2,827 areas, assisting with post-disaster relief and subsidies. Orchids and grouper, key agricultural products, experienced serious losses during the storm, but they have now returned to 90% and 60% of normal capacity respectively. In order to ease financial burdens, 5,000 loans were approved for delayed payment, covering a total of NT$5.9 billion in loans. A total of nearly 2,500 low-interest disaster relief loans were approved, providing NT$2.9 billion to agricultural households to help them get through this difficult period.

(2) Rebuilding disaster area resources and environment

　1. In order to hasten the reconstruction of basic infrastructure in areas affected by Typhoon Morakot, the COA promoted plans to rebuild farmland irrigation facilities and also irrigation channels in farmland consolidation areas. In 2009, NT$481 million was allocated for a total of 291 related engineering projects. Once completed, the infrastructure projects will enable safe transportation in agricultural areas and uninterrupted irrigation, to help farmers swiftly get back to their fields.

　2. The COA performed reconstruction on soil and water conservation facilities, rebuilt agricultural roads, cleared natural streams, and performed debris flow prevention and monitoring in slopelands located in the disaster area. In 2009, NT$847 million was budgeted to perform 325 construction projects. Once completed, they will effectively stabilize 3.51 million cubic meters of potentially dangerous soil, thereby reducing the possibility of disaster and reducing their impact on the 38,800 hectares of land in the surrounding area. A total of 103 sediment control projects were approved in 2009 that will control or utilize 870,000 cubic meters of sediment, while 170,000 cubic meters of sediment was removed.

　3. As outlined in the Strengthened Dredging of Waterways and Reservoirs Plan approved by the Executive Yuan, the COA worked to clear natural waterways. We expect to eliminate 10 million cubic meters of debris from waterways by the 2010 flood season.

(3) Reconstruction of farming villages in the disaster area

　With our focus on the villages in central and southern Taiwan and Taitung County where typhoon damage was centered, the COA worked to perform reconstruction in coordination with rural revitalization policies and goals. We assisted local residents to perform comprehensive reconstruction following their own visions and adjusted the speed and intensity of our efforts depending on the severity of the needs in each community. There were a total of 80 community reconstruction projects in disaster areas following the typhoon.

(4) Reconstruction of agricultural promotion facilities

　Typhoon Morakot caused serious damage to 99 farmers’ and fishermen’s association offices, which house agricultural promotion, marketing, and credit facilities, leading to an estimated NT$250 million in damages. In order to assist in the reconstruction of these facilities, the COA provided emergency relief funds while also establishing a special budget to provide nearly NT$200 million in relief. Reconstruction is expected to be completed by December 31, 2010, allowing agricultural associations to once again provide a comprehensive range of services.