Climate Change Threatens Korea's Apple Industry

Apple farmer Yoon Young-hwan has spent 53 years tending his trees in a small orchard in Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province. However, in recent years, he has witnessed a phenomenon he has never seen before: perfectly ripened fruit suddenly cracking wide open. This is due to extreme weather shifts, causing the fruit's skin to split. The industry is likely to vanish from Korea by the end of the century, with only 1.1 percent of farmland remaining suitable for apples by the 2070s. Other crops, such as pears and peaches, also face significant threats. Ginseng farmland, which currently makes up 84.1 percent of total farmland, may fall to just 9 percent in 50 years.

Key Takeaways:

• Apple cultivation in Korea is likely to disappear by the end of the century, with only 1.1 percent of farmland remaining suitable for apples by the 2070s.
• The heat wave usually ends by mid-August, but since 2020, it has lasted into mid-September, causing 30-degree weather.
• About 60 percent of Yoon's apples cracked open in 2023.
• Shinano Gold, a yellow-skinned apple, grew from 0.5 tons in 2018 to 2,920 tons in 2023.
• Grapes lose sweetness and fail to ripen properly at night temperatures above 24 degrees Celsius.
• Shipments of Fuji apples dropped by 31 percent from the previous year in 2023.
• New varieties of apples, such as Shinano Gold, are rapidly expanding in the market.
• Farmers are facing significant challenges in adapting to changing weather conditions, including soil pollution and increased costs.
• The transition to subtropical crops requires greenhouse facilities, which are costly.
• Efforts to support farm income and address rising food prices are necessary for the apple industry's survival.

Statistics:

• 53 years: Yoon Young-hwan's experience in apple farming.
• 60 percent: the percentage of Yoon's apples that cracked open in 2023.
• 0.5 tons: Shinano Gold apple shipments in 2018.
• 2,920 tons: Shinano Gold apple shipments in 2023.
• 24 degrees Celsius: the night temperature at which grapes lose sweetness and fail to ripen properly.
• 31 percent: the drop in shipments of Fuji apples from the previous year in 2023.
• 1.1 percent: the percentage of farmland remaining suitable for apples by the 2070s under a worst-case scenario.
• 16.2 percent: the percentage of farmland remaining suitable for apples in the 2070s under a low-emissions scenario.
• 89.8 percent: the current percentage of pear-growing regions.
• 30.1 percent: the projected percentage of pear-growing regions by the end of the century.
• 82.2 percent: the current percentage of peach cultivation zones.
• 29.9 percent: the projected percentage of peach cultivation zones by the end of the century.
• 84.1 percent: the current percentage of ginseng farmland.
• 9 percent: the projected percentage of ginseng farmland in 50 years.

Sources:

• National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science (2021)
• Rural Development Administration
• Korea Ginseng Association
• National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (November 2023)
• Chonnam National University