Farmers struggle to recover from heavy snowfall damage

[Anchor]

Due to the severe cold wave that has swept across the country, farms and disaster victims that recently suffered from heavy snowfall are facing significant difficulties in recovery.

Reporter Choo Jae-hoon has covered the situation of those who are struggling to regain their daily lives.

[Report]

This is a greenhouse complex where vegetables and fruits are grown year-round.

The weight of the fallen snow caused the greenhouse roofs to completely collapse, and the frames have also bent.

As the roofs sagged due to the heavy snowfall, all the tomatoes that were in the midst of being harvested suffered from frost damage.

With the crops ruined and the need to rebuild the greenhouses, residents can only sigh.

[Jeong Byeong-ho/Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province: "Our livelihood has just collapsed overnight. We are in the middle of the harvest, but we can't harvest anything; it's all going to waste."]

[Ki Jeong-seon/Yongin, Gyeonggi Province: "These cucumbers are for school lunches, and now that this has happened, we can't even deliver them...."]

They are trying to secure at least a minimal space for recovery and gather their thoughts, but they are worried that the damage may worsen with the arrival of the cold wave.

[Jo Seong-il/Osan, Gyeonggi Province: "The workers need a space to eat, so we are arranging that first. As the weather continues to get colder, I think the frost damage will get worse...."]

The situation is similar in the flower cultivation complex.

They are suffering from double hardships due to heavy snowfall followed by frost damage.

During the day, they need to remove the insulation to let in sunlight, and at night, they must cover it to maintain the temperature, but with the roofs collapsed, they cannot take any action.

[Park Seung-dong/Yongin, Gyeonggi Province: "If it drops below minus 10 degrees Celsius, we may have to consider giving up. The costs for interest payments and disposal are enormous. Farmers are currently thinking about those costs very seriously...."]

The record-breaking heavy snowfall followed by a powerful cold wave is making life even harder for the affected residents.

This is KBS News, Choo Jae-hoon.