Frequent rain delays rice harvest...livestock farmers urgently securing rice straw

As the rice harvest season has begun in earnest, the spread of rice blast disease and reduced yields, coupled with frequent rainfall, have led many farmers to abandon rice straw harvesting, while livestock farmers are actively seeking to secure rice straw. According to the Jeonnam Provincial Agricultural and Horticultural Research Institute, as of October 22, the rice harvest progress rate in the Jeonnam region is at 24%, which is about 10 days behind the usual pace due to about two weeks of continuous rain around the Chuseok holiday. Assuming work proceeds without further rainfall, the completion of the harvest is expected around November 11, similar to last year. The problem is that the delay in harvesting due to rain and the shortened working hours have led to an increase in the number of general farmers abandoning rice straw work. This has exacerbated the difficulty for livestock farmers in securing rice straw. Mr. Song Ki-beom, who manages both rice farming and Hanwoo cattle ...