Smart farming rises as agriculture adapts to climate crisis

[Anchor]

Last year, the prices of agricultural products rose significantly due to abnormal weather.

One of the sectors severely impacted by the climate crisis is agriculture.

In an era where farming nurtured by nature has become difficult, what responses are needed? Reporter Lee Soo-yeon has investigated.

[Report]

Although the weather outside hovers around freezing, red peppers are growing here.

In a smart farm producing paprika, peppers have been cultivated alongside since two years ago.

From October, when the pepper harvest is completed, until June of the following year, stable production is possible.

Although the facility costs are high, the productivity is more than twelve times higher than that of open fields, and it can prevent pests and diseases, making it competitive.

Over the past decade, the area for pepper cultivation in our country has decreased by 40%, leading to a corresponding drop in self-sufficiency rates.

[Shin Dong-chang/CEO of Sunmate Agricultural Corporation: "Peppers must be cultivated in smart farms to secure productivity, especially as the cultivation area continues to decrease and profitability declines. I believe this can drive that change."]

It has now become an era where even peppers, which were considered typical open-field crops, are grown in smart farms.

Cabbage has also suffered greatly from heatwaves and heavy rains.

Efforts are underway to develop heat-resistant cabbage varieties and to promote varieties like apples that taste good even if they do not turn red.

Warnings are being issued that if we cannot adapt to climate change, our country, which has a low food self-sufficiency rate, will face a crisis.

[Lee Bo-kyun/Chair Professor at Sunchon National University: "We talk about climate refugees, but in fact, they are food refugees. Many refugees have arisen due to food issues stemming from the climate crisis. In that sense, we need to prepare in advance."]

The beginning of preparation is infrastructure investment.

The government has announced plans to strengthen the adjustment of agricultural product supply and demand by disseminating technologies that can extend storage periods beyond those of low-temperature warehouses.

This is KBS News, Lee Soo-yeon.