Rice Harvest Begins

[Anchor Lead]

The rice harvest has begun in rural parts of the country. This year, it feels quite special because it took farmers an extraordinary amount of effort to cultivate rice through severe droughts and floods.

[Pkg]

Golden rice plants, ready for harvest, sway gently in the sun. Their ripe ears represent the hard efforts expended by farmers to grow them this year. Combine harvesters move busily in a rice field. It's the first harvest of the year. Farmers are elated to see the result of their hard work after severe droughts and floods that hit rural areas this year.

[Soundbite] Heo Yeon-kyu (Chungcheongbuk-do Prov. Resident) : "I was worried lately because it has been raining a lot, but luckily my crops have grown well."

This rice variety is harvested about a month earlier than others. It will be shipped in time for the Chuseok holiday. Despite the challenging weather conditions this year, the rice harvest is expected to be similar to that of previous years. It has been a difficult year for Korean farmers, but as always, autumn is rewarding them for their effort with an abundant harvest.