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Yesterday (19th) was the second season of spring, 'Excellence', when it rained and sprouted.
It is said that the spring potatoes, which should be in full bloom at this time of the year, have suffered damage from the cold this year and are not even able to harvest.
Reporter Lee Yong-shik conducted on-site coverage.
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is a plastic house farm in Gurye, Jeollanam-do.
Potato stems and leaves that were supposed to grow green and luxuriantly collapsed.
It is difficult to even find proper potato leaves because they turn yellow and die.
Even the potato eggs did not grow properly.
It's cold damage.
[Choi In-ho / Potato Cropping Group Secretary: Growth has stopped here because there is no supply of nutrients.
This is the saddest reality.]
The greenhouse is heated by pumping up about 14 degrees of groundwater.
Potatoes grown here are expected to be harvested in the middle of next month, but it is unavoidable to reduce the yield due to freezing in the cold.
Even this farm in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, did not escape the cold.
Even after installing a double greenhouse, the potato leaves withered around the edges, and over time they dried up yellow.
[Kim Yong-hui/Farmer: Ten days ago, the minus (cold) temperature went down to minus 9 degrees, 10 degrees, and 11 degrees below zero for more than a week, and it froze.]
In order to prevent cold damage, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 3 degrees or more, but it is not easy due to cost problems such as oil price.
The nationwide green house spring potato production is 43,000 tons, or 8% of the total potato production.
Despite the cold damage, the government and local governments pay only for pesticides and planting costs, and there is no crop accident insurance, which is causing deep distress to farmers.
(Video coverage: Hojun Choi, Mincheol Kim)