“We have 4,000 member farmers across Japan and, according to the latest information that we have been able to gather, at least 100 farms were completely destroyed in Hagibis alone,” said Takashi Koiso, a spokesman for the Japan Pork Producers’ Association.

“We still do not have a firm figure for the number of pigs that were lost, but it will undoubtedly be devastating for the industry,” he said.

Despite efforts by farmers to shelter their livestock, Koiso said many farms were inundated when floodwaters rose faster and higher than anticipated, with flood defences along riverbanks broached in numerous locations.

“The most serious damage was caused by the flooding as it took away livestock, feed and equipment, with the heavier equipment that was not washed away often badly damaged,” he said.

Farmers in 38 of the nation’s 43 prefectures have reported damage and losses caused by the storms, which also claimed 99 lives.

According to ministry figures, damage to forestry resources, including 10,000 hectares of managed forest land, roads, equipment and wood-processing plants is estimated at US$289 million. For fishing ports, boats and fish processing facilities, the figure is around US$87 million.

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In the city of Nagano, in northern Japan, the Chikuma River broke its banks and flooded apple orchards in the surrounding low-lying areas. Strawberry farms in the city of Sano, in Tochigi prefecture, suffered a similar fate, destroying the protective plastic-sheet tunnels and coating entire crops in a thick layer of mud.

In Miyagi prefecture, on the north-east coast of Japan, every farmer in the town of Marumori lost their fruit and vegetable crops when the Abukuma River topped its levees, just days before they were due to be harvested. Other farms have been badly affected by landslides.

“I have never experienced flooding this bad,” one farmer from the town told The Japan Agricultural News. “I may have no income from the farm this autumn.

“I have no energy left. I need to talk to my son before I decide whether I should close or keep the farm.”

At a cabinet meeting last week, agriculture minister Taku Eto warned economic losses from this year’s disastrous weather were likely to grow, but the government is drawing up a package of measures to support industries hardest-hit by the disasters.

Japan’s agricultural output stands at some 9.2 trillion yen (US$84.34 billion) a year, and has been on a gradual upward trend for the last decade. Rice remains the most important single crop, with demand for vegetables, fish and seafood also growing.

There has been concern in recent years about an influx of cheap foreign food into Japan as a result of a number of free-trade agreements that Tokyo has signed with trade partners, with Japanese producers at a distinct cost disadvantage due to the small size of most farms.

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The agriculture sector is also feeling the impact of an ageing population and more young people opting to move to the cities in search of work instead of labouring in rural communities.

The Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives fears the losses will put many farmers out of business and dissuade more from entering the sector.

“Hagibis caused serious damage across a large part of the country and the ministry has put a figure on that, but we are even more worried about the invisible damage,” Kento Nishihara said.

“Some prefectures lost their entire crops of apples, oranges and grapes, all of which take a whole year of careful nurturing,” he said. “And farmers have lost their tractors, fertiliser stocks, warehouse buildings. The impact of this typhoon is going to be felt in the sector for many years.

“The average Japanese farmer is 67 years old,” he added. “We are extremely worried that this disaster is going to act as a trigger and many farmers – particularly the older ones – are going to give it up. That is our biggest concern.”