Typhoon Qiangwei battered Taitung's farms with strong winds, hot dry foehn winds, and salt spray, and this is bad news for local farmers but officials are pushing fast fixes to limit the damage.

The Taitung Agricultural Research Station warned farmers that the storm's winds and foehn effect hurt crop growth, and it's telling them to act fast after the storm passes by clearing broken branches and fallen fruit, trimming damaged limbs, and stepping up disease prevention before infections set in.

Fruit orchards hit by the hot foehn winds or salty spray need extra watering to replace lost moisture and wash salt off the leaves, and broken branches should be cut and treated to stop disease from spreading. Specific crops like custard apples, bananas, and citrus fruits need extra attention for fungal and bacterial infections that tend to follow storms.

Rice fields need their edges and drainage ditches repaired so water can be managed properly, and any rice that got knocked over should be bundled up to keep the grain from getting waterlogged and sprouting. Vegetable growers were told to check their plots quickly and reinforce the frames holding up their crops.

Outlook: Officials say disease prevention paired with quick cleanup is key to protecting the next harvest, and farmers needing help can contact the agricultural station directly.