FARMING STRUGGLES

[Anchor Lead]

On today's local news, we take you to Chungcheongnam-do Province where farmers are having a hard time with their crops for many reasons. With the already summer-like weather, the supply of farm produce has surged, bringing down prices. The earlier-than-usual hot weather is also having negative effects on product quality, making the situation even worse. Here are the details.

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Lettuce harvest is underway in a greenhouse. Farmers get busier than ever as the vegetable is growing faster amid the summer-like weather since last month. As lettuce supply surged nationwide, its prices plummet. It is now difficult for farmers to even make up for labor costs.

[Soundbite] AHN WAN-SOON(LETTUCE FARMER) : "My lettuce is of good quality. So I receive five to six thousand won per box. But many sell for two to three thousand won. Those farmers can't even afford to harvest their lettuce."

The unusually hot weather is also an unwelcome guest for cucumber farmers. Despite an increase in production, they come in lower quality with a bitter taste and deformed shape.

[Soundbite] PARK MEOUNG-SEO(CUCUMBER FARMER) : "The hot weather prevents the supply of nutrition to the roots of cucumbers and degrades their quality."

The harvest season for cherry tomatoes has moved up excessively due to the higher temperature. The harvest season is supposed to last until mid June. However, it ended 15 days earlier than usual due to the unseasonable heat.

[Soundbite] CHOI HYUNG-NAM(CHERRY TOMATO FARMER) : "Supermarkets want more supplies for higher prices. However, the harvest ended too quickly and farmers can hardly meet the demand."

Last month, Daejeon experienced more than 13 days of highs surpassing 28 degrees Celsius.
Farmers are adversely affected by the unusually high temperature.