FARMERS STRUGGLE AMID SEVERE DROUGHTS

[Anchor Lead]

The amount of precipitation in Korea last month was the lowest in half a century. Farmers are struggling amid severe droughts. Strawberry farms in Gyeongsangnam-do Province have to use electric heaters to warm their greenhouses as groundwater for heating has all dried out.

[Pkg]

A greenhouse growing strawberries in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. This year, the berries fall short in sweetness and aesthetics, uneven and far from ideal. It's because groundwater for heating the greenhouse has dried out due to severe droughts. To keep the optimal temperature of 18 degrees Celsius inside the greenhouse, the farmer has to turn on an oil boiler. This meant double the expenses just for heating compared to last year.

[Soundbite] Kwon Jae-jung(Strawberry farmer) : "This year, we're facing severe water shortages, which make it impossible to grow crops without heating devices at nighttime."

This greenhouse in Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, is heated with electric heaters, which consumes less power than boilers.

[Soundbite] Lee Byung-wook(Strawberry farmer) : "We ran out of water a month earlier than in previous years. We have to rely on electric heaters. Using oil boilers is too expensive because of high oil prices."

In January the amount of precipitation in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do Province recorded 0.1mm and only 0.3 rainy days, the lowest in roughly half a century. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is preparing measures to supply water to farms cultivating winter crops such as garlic and onions.