Due to the large forest fire in the Yeongnam region, the area that needs to be replanted with apple saplings amounts to 662 soccer fields.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 25th that the area directly damaged and requiring apple sapling renewal from the forest fire is 473 hectares (ha). This corresponds to about 662 soccer fields (0.714 ha) and represents approximately 1.4% of the total apple cultivation area.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated that it has revised its business guidelines to support farms wishing to restore orchards, regardless of joint shipment performance, and has initiated a demand survey to ensure support can be provided within the first half of the year.
Park Yeon-soon, executive member of the Korean Apple Farmers Cooperative Association, said, "We plan to expand apple sapling production facilities and prioritize the supply of disease-free superior saplings to the farms affected by the forest fire."
In addition to the forest fire, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is also checking the recent low-temperature damage situation. For pears, as of April 11, the reported low-temperature damage area is 1,639 ha, which is about 31% of the average damage area (5,278 ha).
Executive Park noted, "So far, the growth of pears is at a better level than average, and there will be no significant disruption in securing the yield through thinning and fruit dropping work in the damaged areas."
A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs remarked, "For indirect damage from the forest fire, it is possible to minimize the impact through growth management, so the effect on this year's apple production is expected to be limited," adding, "We plan to continuously monitor growth conditions centered on the growth management council and ensure production stability through weather response monitoring and technical guidance."