[Report] "Cold Damage and Hail"... Pear Farmers Struggle as Abnormal Weather Repeats

Hailstorm During Blossom Season Causes Pear Flower Drop, Raising Pollination Concerns
Cold Damage from Subzero Temperatures Leads to More Misshapen Fruit
Rising Costs for Nutrients and Supplies While Revenue Declines

On the morning of the 8th, pear petals were scattered in a pear orchard in Daehodong, Naju, Jeollanam-do, due to hail that fell two days earlier. Photo by Min Chanki

"It has become difficult to farm recently due to abnormal weather, including hail and cold damage," said a farmer at a pear orchard in Daehodong, Naju, Jeollanam-do, on the morning of April 8.

Two days prior, sudden hail had fallen, leaving pear flower petals scattered across the ground. Kim Jongil, 53, who has been running the pear orchard here for the past 12 years, said this was the first time he had experienced hail damage. He expressed concern that the hail, which hit right as the pear blossoms were blooming, could cause pollination problems and lead to issues with fruit development.

The hailstorm occurred between 2 and 3 p.m. on April 6, affecting six cities and counties: Naju, Damyang, Gokseong, Hwasun, Hampyeong, and Muan. The hailstones measured between 18.0 and 26.5 mm, roughly the size of 10 won to 500 won coins.

The total area of crops damaged by hail was provisionally estimated at 802 hectares. By region, Naju suffered the most with 742 hectares affected, followed by Muan County with 50 hectares, and Hampyeong County with 10 hectares.

In particular, the hailstorm was concentrated in the Daehodong area of Naju. Around 120 pear trees managed by Kim were damaged. However, as the pears are expected to set fruit from early to mid-May, the precise scale of the damage caused by the hail has yet to be determined.

Looking at the pear blossoms, Kim said, "The flowers need to be pollinated properly so the fruit can develop, but I'm very worried because the blossoms were pelted by icy hailstones."

Hail is not the only challenge facing pear orchards. For about five years, abnormal weather has also resulted in cold snaps during spring, with sudden drops in temperature below zero, causing further cold damage.

If blossoms are exposed to cold damage after blooming, the stamens and pistils inside the flowers freeze and become damaged, making fruit setting difficult. Even if fruit does set, the proportion of misshapen fruit increases, which negatively impacts the orchard's revenue. Furthermore, when pollination is affected by both hail and cold damage, it can lead to a long-term decline in production.

Despite the rise in misshapen fruit due to abnormal weather, Kim said he cannot simply give up farming for the year. Because of the nature of pear trees, pest control and harvest must be carried out, so that fruit can be harvested again the following year.

As abnormal weather events become more frequent, Kim said the cost of growing pears, such as nutritional supplements, has also increased. Ultimately, while the costs of cultivation are rising, the increase in misshapen fruit caused by abnormal weather continues to reduce overall revenue.

Kim sighed, "Even if only 30% of the fruit that sets next month is normal, I can't give up farming. If I do, the pear trees could suffer pest damage or fail to form new flower buds, so I have to keep going until harvest. But with abnormal weather causing more misshapen fruit, our revenue keeps decreasing."

Meanwhile, Jeollanam-do Province plans to provide technical support for crop recovery, such as spraying treatments, while simultaneously receiving damage reports from each city and county and conducting on-site investigations. The province also announced it will finalize the scale of additional damage after a detailed investigation within 10 days.

A Jeollanam-do official stated, "We will focus on providing prompt support to the hardest-hit areas and will work to minimize the damage suffered by farmers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.