[Anchor]
As abnormal weather patterns featuring alternating bouts of extreme heat and heavy rain become routine, an increasing number of farming households are facing operational difficulties. Hongcheon County has begun searching for alternative income crops that enable stable production while responding to climate change.
Kim Yoon-ji from G1 Broadcasting reports.
[Reporter]
A chamnamul (Korean chervil) farm in Nae-myeon, Hongcheon.
Harvesting of freshly sprouting chamnamul is in full swing.
Located 700 meters above sea level, this area has traditionally focused on highland vegetables such as radishes and cabbages.
However, due to abnormal weather that began four to five years ago, farmers have struggled to harvest their main crops.
Crops either burn under intense sunlight or their roots rot from sudden rainfall.
The high price volatility of mainstay crops is also a major issue.
As extreme heat and heavy rain become commonplace, farmers in various areas have started discovering and introducing alternative income crops.
The crop chosen by the farmers is chamnamul.
While it has mostly been harvested in central regions previously, the rapidly rising temperatures have now made the highlands a suitable climate for it.
Farm income has also increased by more than 1.5 times.
[Kim Gyeong-gi / Chamnamul Farmer: Lettuce gets mushy easily and is vulnerable to rain... About two years ago, I did a trial cultivation of chamnamul on about 60 pyeong, and it grew well and the unit price was good. So, I started increasing it little by little starting last year.]
An increasing number of farmers are also running alternative crops alongside their existing ones to secure stable income.
[Lee Moon-jae / Cucumber and Chamnamul Farmer: Cucumbers are very sensitive to climate change. When production is high, we get 100 boxes, but when it is low, we get about 20 boxes. Because the deviation is so severe... we have to grow chamnamul alongside them. Chamnamul has a decent harvest.]
Hongcheon County plans to continuously discover items that can respond to climate change and ensure stable production, thereby expanding the foundation for high-income agriculture.
(Video by Seo Jin-hyung / G1 Broadcasting)
Kim Yoon-ji, G1
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