Heatwave threatens livestock

[Anchor]

When the weather gets hot like this, it's not just people who suffer.

Look at the drooping pigs.

Even silent animals struggle to endure the heat.

Fearing that it might lead to mass deaths, farmers are taking a variety of measures.

Seo Yoon-deok reports.

[Report]

Even in the morning, temperatures exceeds 30 degrees.

Cows in the barn are constantly swishing their tails and fidgeting.

They are stressed due to the heat.

Even with a large fan running 24 hours a day and water being sprayed on the barn roof, it is not enough to beat the scorching heat, which is nearing 32 degrees.

[Han Sang-gil/Cattle farmer: "I'm very worried. Due to heat stress, there are issues like calf deaths, weight gain problems, and breeding difficulties."]

In a desperate attempt to lower the temperature, even by 1 degree, farmers are even using drones to apply shading agents on barn roofs.

At a broiler farm, chickens ready for shipment are gathering around the water supply to quench their thirst.

Due to the nature of intensive farming of chickens and ducks, they are particularly vulnerable to heat.

Farmers spray mist and run exhaust fans, but more than 200 chickens have already died this month.

[Lee Soon-hee/Poultry farmer: "When it gets hot, the chickens stop eating, just sit down, and collapse. That leads to deaths. Once a chicken lies down, it can’t get back up."]

As of the 2nd, over 102,000 livestock, including chickens and pigs, have died nationwide due to heat-related causes.

In particular, as the rainy season ends in the southern regions, the heatwave is expected to continue for a while, putting livestock farms on high alert.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has formed a livestock disaster response team and is providing support to local governments to minimize further damage.

This is Seo Yoon-deok from KBS News.