1 President Orders Broad Relief After Typhoon Hits Southern Taiwan

Typhoon Danas, combined with a southwest air current, struck Tainan, Chiayi, and southern Taiwan, marking the first time in 120 years a typhoon traveled north through the Taiwan Strait before making landfall in Chiayi. The storm toppled thousands of utility poles, destroyed high-voltage towers, damaged 1,300 cell base stations, and left parts of Tainan and Chiayi without power for over ten days.

During an August 9 visit to the post-disaster command center, President Lai Ching-te apologized to residents and announced special measures for farmers and fishers: direct cash aid for all agricultural losses without inspections, a one-year interest waiver on agricultural loans, and increased subsidies for agricultural facilities from 50% to 80%. He urged local governments to deliver assistance “generously, quickly, simply, and leniently” to speed recovery.

2. Taiwan Attends APEC Food Security Ministers’ Meeting in South Korea

This year’s APEC Food Security Ministers’ Meeting was held in Incheon, South Korea. In addition to presenting Taiwan’s initiatives in AI applications and strengthening agricultural resilience, the Ministry of Agriculture also held bilateral talks with South Korea, Mexico, and Australia to actively expand substantive agricultural cooperation.According to a ministry press release, the 10th APEC Food Security Ministers’ Meeting adopted the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow,” with priorities set on “Connectivity, Innovation, and Shared Prosperity.” Agricultural discussions this year focused particularly on innovation and development within agri-food systems. The ministry noted that Deputy Minister Hu Chung-yi led Taiwan’s delegation, outlining how Taiwan is integrating AI with big data and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to establish precision agriculture systems, improve production efficiency, and develop climate-resilient agri-food production systems.