TOKYO, Aug. 26 ─ Estimates of agricultural losses caused by heavy rainfall this summer in Japan have risen to 103 billion yen, according to the agriculture ministry.
The early estimates in July were about 33 billion yen worth of damages to the farming industry.
Based on current information, the loss estimates considered are: farming land and facilities, 56 billion yen; forest crops, 40 billion; agriculture products, 7 billion.
The deluge had devastating effects on farmers in affected areas, especially the southern island of Kyushu that was hardest hit after huge floods wrecked hundreds of houses, roads and rice fields.
The ministry has announced that it will apply a new farm recovery scheme that relaxes inspection requirements on farmers in flood-hit areas to help them to restore damaged agricultural land and drainage as quickly as possible.