(Miryang=Yonhap News) Kim Dong-min, Reporter = Gyeongnam Miryang City announced on the 2nd that it will accept damage reports until the 12th regarding recent heavy rain and hail that caused damage to apple farms in the Sannaemyeon area.
The city provisionally calculated that around 1,300 farms covering 920 hectares of apple orchards were damaged when localized heavy rain and hail approximately 1cm in diameter poured down for about 40 minutes around 5:30 pm on the 29th of last month.
Particularly, some areas like Ochi Village in Yongjeon-ri, Sannaemyeon, were assessed to have suffered such severe damage that this year's harvest might need to be abandoned.
The city will accept damage reports at administrative welfare centers in each town and district where the orchards are located until the 12th.
A city official emphasized, "Since this disaster occurred during the fruiting period, the damage is not just simple fruit damage but includes wounds on branches and leaves that are expected to significantly impact next year's fruit production" and stressed "swift pest control is crucial to prevent secondary infections at the wound sites."
Eum-gol apples are a specialty product from Miryang, produced in the clean Yeongnam Alps region with significant temperature variations, known for their outstanding sweetness and flavor.
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