|
Yunlin farmer¡¦s
suicide attempt brings attention to equipment delivery delays
BLAME GAME: Sean Chen and a defense ministry
official said the Yunlin County Government is responsible for assisting with
local farmers in harvesting their crops
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter
A farmer in Chiayi County
yesterday takes advantage of the good weather to take in the harvest.
Photo: Lin Yi-chang, Taipei Times
The plight of a 69-year-old farmer who
attempted to commit suicide after being unable to salvage his crops in time to
avoid further damage caused by the recent rains has attracted officials¡¦
attention to the delayed delivery of mechanical reapers to farmers.
The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that the farmer from
Dounan Township (¤æ«n) in Yunlin County, surnamed Lin (ªL), drank pesticide in a
fit of despair the night after he had waited in vain for mechanical reapers that
never arrived.
Lin was one of many farmers in the country rushing to harvest their crops after
the heavy downpours that started on June 10 and continued when Tropical Storm
Talim hit the country last week, causing flooding that damaged more than 2,400
hectares of rice paddies in the county.
Local media reported that Lin had been found by his son after drinking a 0.5
liter bottle of pesticide on Saturday. Lin was rushed to a hospital for
emergency treatment and was transferred yesterday to a non-intensive care ward,
still suffering from bleeding of the stomach.
Premier Sean Chen yesterday told reporters that the problem did not lie in a
lack of mechanical reapers, but in the scheduling process for their use.
If the Yunlin County Government had better coordinated the dispatch of
mechanical reapers to its farmers, they would have been available to them in
time to save more crops, he said.
Taiwan has 2,042 mechanical reapers available for rent and Yunlin County has 200
of those, Chen said.
Separately, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsueh Ling (礉) said the
Ministry of National Defense should send soldiers to help with harvesting.
Ministry spokesman Major General David Lo (ù²Ð©M) responded to Hsueh¡¦s call by
pointing out that it was the responsibility of local governments to help with
the harvest work.
He also said that the downsizing of the military in recent years and the
shortening of mandatory military service means the ministry can no longer
provide assistance to farmers as it did in the 1970s and 1980s.
In addition, most soldiers now are unfamiliar with farm work, Lo said.
According to the Council of Agriculture, rice losses since June 10 had reached
NT$218.05 million (US$7.28 million) as of yesterday, while total agricultural
losses stood at NT$976.63 million.
Additional reporting by CNA
|
