2024-05-11 07:06:16
[위클리 리포트] ‘Climate inflation’ spread to watermelons
In major production areas such as Buyeo, Haman, and Dalseong, the amount of sunlight in February fell by half.
There are rows of watermelons weighing less than 4kg… Wholesale price increased by about 30% compared to last year
The government is also considering support due to the prospect of a ‘golden watermelon’… “We need to develop varieties that are resistant to the climate crisis.”
《Following the golden apple, there are signs of a ‘golden watermelon’ this summer
The rise in fruit prices, represented by ‘golden apples’, is not subsiding. Watermelon, a representative summer fruit, is not growing well due to the sudden decrease in sunlight due to the abnormal climate, and its price is soaring. It is pointed out that measures such as developing varieties resistant to climate change are necessary.》
“In the 20 years of watermelon farming, this year is the first time I’ve uprooted and replanted the seedlings.”
A farmer who runs a watermelon farm in Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province, pulled out all the watermelons he had planted in 11 greenhouses (about 2,400 pyeong) in February of this year. It was said that the reason was that the watermelon did not bear fruit due to the cloudy weather, including rain for four consecutive days that month, and a lack of sunlight.
Early this year, major watermelon producing regions, including Buyeo, the largest watermelon producing region in the country, suffered a series of damage due to lack of sunlight, resulting in flowers not being fertilized or fruits not growing. According to Buyeo County on the 10th, there were 268 watermelon farms in the district that reported damage due to poor harvesting at the beginning of this year alone, with the damaged area reaching 161ha (approximately 487,025 pyeong). The farm owner said, “This year’s watermelon harvest is likely to be only 60% of last year’s level. “I just hope the weather will cooperate so that the watermelons I replant can grow well,” he said, sighing. Experts are raising concerns that the so-called ‘climate inflation’ (climate + inflation) phenomenon, in which abnormal weather pushes up fruit prices, will occur repeatedly in most fruit items.
● Harvest decreases due to decreased sunlight
Recently, prices of major fruits such as apples and pears have skyrocketed due to poor harvests due to frequent rain and lack of sunlight, while the price of watermelon, a representative summer fruit, has also soared due to a sharp decline in harvest.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation (aT) on the 10th, the wholesale price of a 10kg box of watermelon (product) sold at Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul is an average of 35,798 won as of the 1st to 8th of this month. Compared to the average price of 27,642 won from May 1 to 8 last year, it is 30% more expensive. The retail price of one can of watermelon (product) sold at large supermarkets or traditional markets also increased by 19% from 21,101 won to 25,032 won during the same period.
The reason watermelon prices have risen is because harvests have decreased due to a historic decrease in sunlight. According to the May issue of Agricultural Observation published by the Agricultural Observation Center of the Korea Rural Economic Institute, the sunlight hours in Buyeo-gun in February this year was 102.7 hours, a 43.8% decrease from last year (182.8 hours). Compared to the average of the last 10 years (175.7 hours), the number of hours of sunlight was 41.5% short. In the same month, the sunlight hours in Haman-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (121.4 hours) and Dalseong-gun, Daegu, and Goryeong-gun, Gyeongbuk (110.2 hours) were less than two-thirds of the 10-year average.
Due to insufficient exposure to sunlight, side effects such as fertilization problems and slow growth are occurring. Buyeo County explained that not only was there a lack of sunlight between mid to late February, which is the main fertilization period for subak, but the amount of precipitation increased five times compared to the average year. Since pollen was not produced, the fertilization rate, which was usually 95-98%, plummeted to 70-80%.
Other watermelon producing areas suffered similar damage. Kang Dae-hoon, head of the Haman-gun Watermelon Producers’ Association, said, “Usually, a bucket of watermelon weighs more than 4 to 6 kg, but in farms that suffered severe weather damage this year, more than half of the watermelons were less than 4 kg.” He added, “I have been farming watermelons for over 35 years and this is the first time I have experienced extreme sunlight damage.” “This is the first time,” he said.
● Fruit prices raised by abnormal weather
As fruit growth is slow, watermelon shipments are delayed compared to previous years. The Agricultural Observation Center predicted that the national watermelon harvest this month would decrease by 8% compared to the same month last year. The shipment area only increased by 2% compared to last year, and the yield per unit area fell by 10% compared to the previous year. The amount brought into Garak Market last month was 1,393 tons, a 30% decrease from the same month last year (1,999 tons), and the current supply of watermelons to the market has decreased significantly.
Fortunately, the amount of sunlight was better last month compared to February and March. There are cautious predictions that product shipments that have been delayed in the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions will gradually pick up momentum from the middle of this month. If there are a lot of watermelons on the market, the price may drop somewhat. However, as the scale of cultivation has decreased compared to before due to concerns about bad weather and a lack of manpower, it seems that we will have no choice but to buy watermelons that are more expensive than last year in early summer.
The government is increasing its vigilance by considering future weather as a variable. There are concerns that the ‘golden apple’ phenomenon may occur again in watermelon, just as the price of apples nearly doubled last year due to a decrease in supply due to exceeding expectations of scorching heat and heavy rain. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to make every effort to manage growth in cooperation with local governments and producer groups in preparation for insufficient sunlight hours and high temperatures. In addition, we plan to review whether to support delivery unit prices to lower wholesale prices depending on the watermelon supply and demand situation and price trends this month.
The problem is that fruit and vegetable prices may surge due to abnormal weather conditions from time to time. According to the ‘2023 Abnormal Climate Report’ jointly published by the Korea Meteorological Administration and 12 government ministries, including the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, last month, extreme weather occurred last year, including heavy rain and large temperature ranges in the winter. When applying the high-carbon scenario (SSP5-8.5), which continues greenhouse gas emissions at the current level, the frequency of abnormal climate events is expected to increase, with abnormal heat waves occurring every two years after 2051 and occurring every year by the end of the 21st century.
Lim Jeong-bin, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Sociology at Seoul National University, said, “As abnormal climates become more frequent in the future, the rate of increase in fruit prices is bound to gradually increase.” He added, “We will support research on varieties resistant to climate crises and smart agricultural facilities to maintain stable domestic fruit production.” He emphasized, “We need mid- to long-term measures, such as distributing technology to farms.”
Reporter Song Jin-ho [email protected]
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2024-05-11 07:06:16