One of the main functions of the COA is to assist farmers to minimize economic losses from natural disasters. In this section we will discuss adjustments made in 2015 to the government’s programs for providing financial relief in the wake of such events.

　　Following severe losses to agriculture in 2015 caused by Typhoon Soudelor and Typhoon Dujuan, on August 26 the COA announced an amended version of Article 5 of the “Regulations for Relief for Damage Caused by Natural Disasters” (hereafter “Relief Regulations”) to remove obstacles to getting economic relief to the victims. Circumstances which were previously classified as “not eligible for relief” were changed to “eligible to apply for low interest loans.” This change allows us to help more farmers who need post-disaster emergency capital and will help prevent delays in the recovery of affected industries.

　　At the same time, the COA announced numerous amendments to the regulations is governing the types of items eligible for, and the amounts of relief available for, post-disaster cash relief. Amendments were made to the chapters covering farming, forestry, and fisheries (especially aquaculture). With respect to farming, various crops (including citrus fruit, bamboo shoots, and short-term vegetables) were re-categorized to make more products eligible for disaster relief and/or to permit higher amounts of such relief. Also, rules were altered for calculating, and increasing relief amounts for, damage to greenhouse facilities. With respect to forestry, relief was increased for afforestation land and bamboo forest. Finally, with respect to fisheries, new items were added as eligible for relief (grouper, eel, ornamental fish raised in outdoor fish ponds, and indoor aquaculture production and management facilities), while upper limits on relief were eliminated for some items (costs of restoring fish-raising in aquaculture ponds, at-sea net-cage aquaculture, and oyster aquaculture). All changes were made retroactive to August 9 of 2015.

　　We also moved to address two additional problems that arose with respect to the Relief Regulations. (1) There were problems with the mechanisms for activating “cash relief” and “special-case subsidy relief.” The items eligible for relief and the amounts of such relief were not uniform, creating a situation in which different farmers who had suffered comparable losses in a disaster received different treatment in the amounts of relief they received (depending upon whether the disaster area was considered a “special-case subsidy relief” area or a “cash relief” area). (2) Farmers had complained that while losses on their individual plots of land reached the 20% threshold, because their area was not included in areas eligible for relief, or their specific product was not included in the products eligible for relief, they were not able to receive any post-disaster assistance.

　　In response to suggestions, and to protect the rights and interests of disaster victims in the rural economy, on October 29 of 2015 the COA announced further amendments to the Relief Regulations. The changes: (a) eliminated the system of announcing a threshold for cash relief; and (b) stipulated that cash relief would be given in all cases where a farmer applying for disaster relief has suffered losses of 20%. To assist farmers who suffered losses from Typhoon Dujuan, we decided that no matter whether or not the farmer lived in an area which the COA had agreed would be designated as eligible for “special-case subsidy relief,” and no matter what items were specified as eligible for relief, all farmers could apply for relief within a period designated by the COA. If the following on-site inspection confirmed that the farmer had suffered losses reaching 20% or more, appropriate cash relief would be provided.