TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hualien’s Yuli and Zhouxi townships experienced low temperatures in March, leading mango trees to produce fewer flowers, which resulted in less pollination in orchards and either deformed fruit or no fruit at all.

For this reason, Hualien County Government petitioned the Ministry of Agriculture for financial assistance for mango growers. An announcement on Tuesday (May 7) alerted mango farmers in the area to financial assistance of upwards of NT$100,000 (US$3,000) per affected hectare.

Hualien County said applications for assistance will be accepted from May 8–17. Applications for cash assistance or low-interest loans are to be made at local district offices, per CNA.

Hualien County Agriculture Department Director Chen Shu-wen (陳淑雯) said farmers should submit an application to the appropriate district office associated with their orchards. Farmers must also follow the relevant regulations about natural disaster relief assistance.

For example, Article 5 of the Agricultural Development Act states applicants must be directed to take part in agricultural production, and those who declare losses of less than 20% will not receive assistance. Furthermore, farmers can only qualify for disaster assistance once per calendar year.

As mangoes begin to enter harvest season in May, many Hualien County farmers are struggling with poor yields, putting them at risk of financial loss.