Scorched Fields Hit by Pest Infestations..."When on Earth Will It Rain?"

[Anchor]

The situation is similar in the Gyeongsangbuk-do region. Moisture left behind by Typhoon Chan-hom is expected to bring rain to the Yeongnam region starting today (the 13th), and we will have to see how much of a help it will be.

Reporting by Jung Sung-wook from TBC.

[Reporter]

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

Walking into the field, the chili leaves are completely discolored to a yellowish hue, and minute fading spots are visible on the leaves.

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

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

[Lee Dae-hong / Agricultural Researcher at Yeongyang Chili Pepper Research Institute: Above all, mites are so small that they are hard to see. If you carefully observe the undersides of the (chili) leaves and spot mites, you must immediately spray the appropriate pesticides.]

A nearby vineyard has also suffered sunburn damage.

Ahead of shipment, farmers have to thin out about 20 percent of their total production due to blemishes, leaving their hearts broken.

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

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

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 hardship of waging 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 intense heatwave.]

Although the intensity of the heatwave has eased slightly starting this week, there is no news of refreshing rain in inland areas, leaving farmers burning with anxiety.

(Camera & Video by Kim Young-hwan / TBC)

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