[May not see tomorrow] Crisis looms over Danyang, main garlic production area of Hanji-type

[※ Editor's Note = Global warming is transforming our lives. Agricultural and marine product maps are changing, and beaches face closure due to rising sea levels. With repeated unprecedented rains and droughts, agricultural product prices have skyrocketed. Unfortunate incidents such as 'flowerless flower festivals' and 'iceless ice festivals' have emerged. If this continues, what we take for granted now may disappear in the future. Yonhap News Agency reports weekly on the frontlines of the dramatic changes caused by climate change and seeks solutions for overcoming them.]

(Danyang=Yonhap News Agency) Reporter Kim Hyeong-woo = Chungbuk Danyang, along with Gyeongbuk Uiseong, is a representative domestic garlic production area of the Hanji type.

Garlic is broadly divided into Hanji type and Nanji type, with the Hanji type having a long dormancy period, sprouting in the spring after being planted in the fall.

It is mainly cultivated in regions with low temperatures, and it is popular as a kimchi ingredient during the kimchi-making season due to its firm texture, excellent storage properties, and strong spicy flavor.

In particular, Danyang garlic grows in the limestone area with a large diurnal temperature range at the foot of the Sobaek Mountains, making its bulbs firm and its storage properties good.

Rich in allicin, which is effective in cancer prevention and adult disease prevention, it is called 'the garlic of garlic' and has been loved by consumers.

However, recently, due to unstable weather and changes in consumption patterns caused by climate change, the worries of Hanji type garlic farmers have deepened.

◇ "The weather is not helping... When should we sow the seeds?"

Kim Mo (62), who has been cultivating traditional Hanji type garlic in Maepo-eup, Danyang County, Chungbuk, for 30 years, is deeply concerned as the sowing season approaches.

Continuous rain throughout the fall has made it difficult to decide when to sow garlic seeds in the field.

Sowing seeds in a damp field can cause physiological disorders known as 'bald garlic,' which reduces the quality of the product and production volume.

If bald garlic occurs, the product quality decreases and the production volume decreases.

Conversely, if they wait until the ground dries, sowing will be delayed, shortening the growth period, and ultimately leading to a decrease in production volume.

Thus, determining the sowing time is a critical issue directly affecting the farmers' income.