TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan’s avocado farmers are bracing for significant losses this season after cold temperatures and heavy rainfall led to poor flowering and low fruit yield.

DPP Legislators Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) and Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) led a field inspection on Tuesday with officials from the agriculture ministry and Tainan City Agriculture Bureau, per CNA.

Kuo noted that many fruit trees in Tainan were damaged by typhoons last year, and the early 2025 cold and rainy weather further disrupted pollination, causing poor fruit sets. Tainan is Taiwan’s biggest avocado producer, making the impact significant.

He urged the agriculture ministry to review and adjust the current relief subsidy, which caps at NT$80,000 (US$2,600) per hectare, to meet farmers’ needs under extreme climate conditions, per Liberty Times.

Lin explained that avocado prices have surged from around NT$220 per kilogram last year to over NT$300 recently, partly due to supply concerns. He urged authorities to provide more guidance to farmers on coping with such challenges and suggested the government introduce avocado crop insurance.

Agriculture Ministry Deputy Minister Hu Jong-i (胡忠一) said the inspection confirmed poor yields across early, mid, and late-season avocado varieties. The ministry will expedite the natural disaster relief programs for farmers, he added.