Pests, Scorching Sun... "Only Waiting for Rain"

[Anchor]

Severe drought damage and suffering are also unfolding just north in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Pepper fields are swarming with pests, while grapes and apples are scorching under the intense heat.

TBC reporter Jeong Sung-wook has the story.

[Reporter]

This is a pepper field in Ilwol-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, which has reached the harvest season.

Stepping into the field, the pepper leaves are completely discolored to a yellowish hue, showing fine faded spots on the surfaces.

Most of this pepper field has suffered damage from spider mites, which are pests that thrive in hot and dry conditions.

Spider mites actively lay eggs and multiply in dry environments with a humidity of around 50%. Due to the heatwaves and drought that have continued since last month, the damage is spreading to pepper farms in northern regions, including Yeongyang.

[Lee Dae-hong / Agricultural Researcher, Yeongyang Pepper Research Institute: Above all, spider mites are so small that they are hard to see. You need to carefully inspect the undersides of the pepper leaves, and if spider mites are spotted, you must apply the appropriate pesticides immediately.]

Nearby vineyards have also suffered from sunburn damage.

Ahead of shipments, farmers are heartbroken as they have to thin out about 20% of their total production due to blemishes.

[Grape Farmer: It is practically like getting burned from the heat. Because it is so hot, it seems a bit worse than last year. It keeps getting worse as time goes on.]

The situation is no different in Cheongsong, a major apple-producing region.

Some apple farms are worried as they face both sunburn and pest damage.

On top of this, as the drought prolongs, farmers are facing a double whammy, even struggling a "war for water" to secure irrigation.

[Hwang Kyeong-sik / Cheongsong Apple Farmer: Water is scarce so we are waging a water war, and due to the intense heat, sunburn damage is becoming visible here and there.]

Although the intensity of the heatwave has subsided somewhat starting this week, there is no refreshing rain in sight for inland regions, leaving farmers increasingly anxious.

(Video by: Kim Young-hwan, TBC)

Jeong Sung-wook, TBC

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