South Korea: Concerns over decline in Jeju buckwheat quality due to harsh rainy season

There are concerns about the decline in Jeju buckwheat quality due to the monsoon rain that began on the 20th. The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Agricultural Research and Extension Services (Director Sang-Hwan Ko) stated that buckwheat that was not harvested during the rainy season needs to be harvested quickly and thoroughly managed to prepare for quality decline. According to the Jeju Island Agricultural Research and Extension Services, buckwheat is harvested when about 75-80% of the seeds are black and mature, and during spring cultivation, the rainy season often overlaps with this period. In buckwheat, when it rains or the humidity is high, the risk of ‘sub-germination’, which occurs when sprouts germinate on ripening ears, increases, and seed drying is delayed even after harvest, reducing yield and quality. The Jeju Island Agricultural Research and Extension Services advised that, especially if buckwheat is harvested early next month, it is important to thresh and dry ...