TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA, 農糧署) announced on Monday (Nov. 4) that Typhoon Kong-rey caused a limited impact on vegetable-producing regions, predicting vegetable prices will stabilize throughout November. The agency's assessment comes after the typhoon swept across Taiwan in late October, affecting critical agricultural areas.
Typhoon Kong-rey increased the average wholesale vegetable price in Taipei on Nov. 3, reaching NT$49 per kilogram, an 11.5% hike from Oct. 27. Leafy vegetables saw a similar trend, with prices rising to NT$37.8 per kilogram, up NT$3.6 from Oct. 27, marking a 10.7% increase.
AFA Deputy Minister Yao Chih-wang (姚志旺) told the Central News Agency (CNA, 中央社) that Typhoon Kong-rey primarily impacted the second rice harvest in Hualien and Taitung and kumquats in Yilan, sparing most vegetable crops. Yao added that weather forecasts indicate another typhoon will not affect Taiwan. He emphasized that the diverse and abundant winter vegetable varieties should help prices return to consumer-friendly levels.
