Scorched Fruit

[Anchor Lead]

The prolonged heat wave is taking a heavy toll on farmers growing fruit. The strong sunlight is burning the surface of apples and now even persimmons. Take a look.

[Pkg]

Harvesting at this persimmon orchard is expected to begin in about two months. But most of the fruit has become burnt and discolored because of the strong sunlight. Some persimmons have even turned black due to the long exposure to the sun.

[Soundbite] Choi Jeong-hwan(Persimmon Farmer) : "I'm devastated. About 90 percent of my produce has been affected. Almost all of my fruits have become useless. Only those growing in the shade managed to avoid damage."

The situation is even worse with apples, which sustained damage from the heat wave much earlier. The welcome rain last weekend was far from enough to cool down temperatures, which are now close to 40 degrees Celsius. With no rain expected in the nation for the time being, the scorching heat has raised concerns over fruit damage. One way to prevent damage is by lowering the temperature of fruits using special agents such as calcium carbonate.

[Soundbite] Kim Yun-jung(Geochang Agricultural Technology Center) : "We are using calcium carbonate and kaolinite as coating materials, but it's not enough to block the strong sunlight."

Farmers are also advised to sprinkle water on their produce frequently in small amounts every morning and evening. Leaving some weeds to grow on the ground can also help block heat radiation and reduce the scale of damage.