"Cabbage farmers facing double distress from pests and price collapse 'in tears'"
Published 2025년 10월 29일
Tridge summary
(Gwangju=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Hye-in = "With the roots completely rotted, how can we sell these? Even if we feel sorry for the cabbage we painstakingly grew, we feel like we should plow the field and plant barley or beans instead."
Farmer Kim Young-dong, looking at the withered cabbage that failed to sprout properly, sighed deeply and spoke.
Kim's cabbage field, which spans 12,000 pyeong, showed clear signs of cabbage that had rotted due to clubroot disease.
The cabbage had wilted from the roots, and when the outer leaves were peeled back, the inner flesh was discolored and rotted.
Instead of the smell of soil, the distinctive foul odor of clubroot disease rose, making Kim's heart even heavier.
As the kimchi-making season approached, the spread of clubroot disease damage in Haenam, Jeonnam, the largest cabbage-producing area, left farmers in distress.
Clubroot disease is a bacterial disease that causes cabbage to rot from the roots, and after spreading in Gangwon Province last year, damage has surged this year in Haenam, as well as in Chungcheong and Honam regions.
The record-breaking high temperatures and frequent rain, known as autumnal rains, in the past month have fueled the spread of the disease.
The problem is the plummeting prices.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) on the 29th, the wholesale price of cabbage (3 bunches per product) was 15,002 won the previous day, a drop of 38% compared to last year and 54% compared to the previous month.
This is because even if the supply is increased due to reduced consumption due to the decline in quality, there are few buyers.
Kim said, "Because the clubroot disease is so severe, distributors are not willing to buy," and "Even the cabbage from the highland areas of Gangwon in September is not selling, leading to a stockpile, and with the disease spreading to Chungcheong and Honam production areas, the price has completely collapsed."
He continued, "Even if we only sell the ones in good condition, they are sold at a low price, making this year's cabbage harvest a record-breaking poor yield," and "The government only provides support to distributors for supply and demand stability, with no support measures for farmers who have worked hard to grow the crops."
In response, cabbage farmers held a press conference on the 22nd at a damaged field in Osan-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Haenam County, urging the government to investigate the damage and establish practical measures.
Kim Hyo-su, President of the National Cabbage Producers Association, said "
Farmer Kim Young-dong, looking at the withered cabbage that failed to sprout properly, sighed deeply and spoke.
Kim's cabbage field, which spans 12,000 pyeong, showed clear signs of cabbage that had rotted due to clubroot disease.
The cabbage had wilted from the roots, and when the outer leaves were peeled back, the inner flesh was discolored and rotted.
Instead of the smell of soil, the distinctive foul odor of clubroot disease rose, making Kim's heart even heavier.
As the kimchi-making season approached, the spread of clubroot disease damage in Haenam, Jeonnam, the largest cabbage-producing area, left farmers in distress.
Clubroot disease is a bacterial disease that causes cabbage to rot from the roots, and after spreading in Gangwon Province last year, damage has surged this year in Haenam, as well as in Chungcheong and Honam regions.
The record-breaking high temperatures and frequent rain, known as autumnal rains, in the past month have fueled the spread of the disease.
The problem is the plummeting prices.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) on the 29th, the wholesale price of cabbage (3 bunches per product) was 15,002 won the previous day, a drop of 38% compared to last year and 54% compared to the previous month.
This is because even if the supply is increased due to reduced consumption due to the decline in quality, there are few buyers.
Kim said, "Because the clubroot disease is so severe, distributors are not willing to buy," and "Even the cabbage from the highland areas of Gangwon in September is not selling, leading to a stockpile, and with the disease spreading to Chungcheong and Honam production areas, the price has completely collapsed."
He continued, "Even if we only sell the ones in good condition, they are sold at a low price, making this year's cabbage harvest a record-breaking poor yield," and "The government only provides support to distributors for supply and demand stability, with no support measures for farmers who have worked hard to grow the crops."
In response, cabbage farmers held a press conference on the 22nd at a damaged field in Osan-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Haenam County, urging the government to investigate the damage and establish practical measures.
Kim Hyo-su, President of the National Cabbage Producers Association, said "
Original content
(Gwangju=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Hye-in = "How can I sell these when the roots have all rotted away. Even if I feel sorry for the cabbages I've painstakingly grown, I feel like I should plow the field and plant barley or beans instead." Farmer Kim Young-dong, looking at the withered cabbages that had not even managed to sprout properly, spoke with a deep sigh. Kim's cabbage field, which spans 12,000 pyeong, was starkly marked by the traces of cabbages that had rotted due to clubroot disease. The cabbages were rotting from the roots, and when the outer leaves were peeled back, the inner flesh was discolored and rotting. Instead of the smell of soil, the distinctive foul odor of clubroot disease wafted up, making Kim's heart even heavier. As the kimchi-making season approached, the spread of clubroot disease damage in Haenam, Jeonnam, the largest cabbage production area, left farmers in distress. Clubroot disease is a bacterial disease that causes cabbages to rot from the roots, ...
Source: Yna
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