A cold spell that gripped Taiwan in recent weeks caused nearly NT$70 million (US$2.38 million) in agricultural losses nationwide, the Council of Agriculture (COA) reported Wednesday. The most heavily damaged crop was pears, which accounted for NT$12.51 million of the total NT$69.03 million in agricultural losses, the COA said, citing data valid for the period Feb. 2-14. The COA said other fruit crops like wax apples, tangerines, watermelons and dates also suffered serious damage from the cold weather, which lasted almost two weeks in Taiwan. In total, some 841 hectares of crops were damaged, the COA said. In other sectors, aquaculture farms that produce milkfish, grouper and cobia sustained total losses of NT$20.86 million, while livestock losses amounted to about NT$35,000, according to the COA. In terms of areas, Kaohsiung took the biggest beating, with agricultural damage of NT$15.83 million, followed by Hsinchu County with NT$13.63 million, and Pingtung County NT$7.15 million, the council said. Source - http://focustaiwan.tw