Pests Multiply and Crops Sunburn: "Only Waiting for Rain"

[Anchor]

Severe drought damage and hardship are unfolding just north in North Gyeongsang Province. Pepper fields are overrun with pests, while grapes and apples are scorching under the intense heat.

TBC reporter Jung Sung-wook has the story.

[Reporter]

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

Stepping into the field reveals pepper leaves that have turned yellowish, dotted with tiny discolored spots.

Most of this pepper field has suffered damage from mites, a pest that thrives in hot and dry conditions.

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

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

Nearby vineyards have also suffered from sunburn damage.

With shipping ahead, farmers are heartbroken to thin out about 20 percent of their total production due to blemishes.

[Grape Farmer: It is basically like getting burned by 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 growing worried as they face both sunburn and pest damage.

On top of this, as the drought drags on, farmers are suffering dual hardships, even fighting a war to secure water.

[Hwang Kyung-sik / Apple Farmer in Cheongsong: Water is scarce so we are waging a water war, and sunburn is starting to show here and there due to the extreme heat.]

Although the intensity of the heatwave has subsided somewhat starting this week, there is no refreshing rain forecast for inland areas, leaving farmers burning with anxiety.

(Video by: Kim Young-hwan, TBC)

Jung Sung-wook, TBC
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.