대한민국 열대성 인사이트

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Sun-mi = Due to the recent heatwave, prices of some agricultural products have risen significantly. A combination of poor growth and increased demand has caused some items to rise by over 40% compared to a year ago. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) on the 3rd, the average retail price of watermelons was 33,337 won per piece as of the 1st, which is 17.6% higher compared to a year ago. Compared to the average price of the past three years excluding the highest and lowest prices from 2020 to last year, it is 25.0% higher. It has risen by 33.7% compared to a month ago. The rise in watermelon prices is due to the impact of poor growth caused by the heatwave and increased demand. The retail price of tomatoes is 6,716 won per kg, which is 42.6% higher than a year ago and 33.2% higher than the average price. It is 69.0% higher than a month ago. In the case of cabbage, which has a large price fluctuation in summer, the retail price per piece is 6,114 won, exceeding 6,000 won. Compared to a year ago and the average price, it has increased by 11.2% and 11.3%, respectively. It is 68.0% higher than a month ago. The retail price of radishes is 2,697 won per piece, which is 4.7% higher than the average price but 10.4% lower than a year ago. Seasonal fruit peaches (Baekdo) are 21,133 won for 10 pieces, which is 25.1% higher than a year ago and 10.6% higher than the average price. Among livestock products, eggs, which have seen an increase in consumption, have risen in price compared to a year ago. According to the Livestock Products Quality Evaluation Institute, the retail price of 30 eggs (special eggs) was 6,984 won as of late last month, which is 7.9% higher than a year ago. The price of chicken meat last month was 6,500 won, which is at the same level as last year (5,998 won). sun@yna.co.kr

On the 17th, Gou Hara Shigeki, chairman of the Japanese Sweet Potato Friendship Association's advisory board, officially visited Haenam County and conducted various schedules for sweet potato industry exchange and cooperation. This visit was arranged as a response to the sweet potato industry business agreement signed last year, and as a preliminary exchange and consultation ahead of the planned 'Korea-China-Japan Sweet Potato International Workshop' to be held in Haenam County next year. Chairman Gou Hara and his delegation visited Haenam County Office and met with County Mayor Myung Hyun-gwan to discuss future cooperation directions, and also visited sites like Hwasan Agricultural Cooperative to directly examine local cultivation techniques and industrialization status.

(Daejeon=Yonhap News) By Park Ju-young = It was predicted that the invasive pest 'Yellow Longhorn Beetle' that has settled in Jeju has a high possibility of establishing itself if it enters the South Coast region. According to the National Institute of Forest Science of the Korea Forest Service on the 17th, an analysis of ecological information and domestic climate suitability for over 200 invasive pests through machine learning suggests that the Yellow Longhorn Beetle is likely to settle in some areas of the South Coast if it enters the region. Originally from subtropical regions, the Yellow Longhorn Beetle was first reported in Jeju in 2019 and officially confirmed to have settled domestically in 2022. During its larval stage, it primarily inhabits nettle trees, creating long tunnel-like holes inside the stems, causing trees to die or even fall. Adult beetles strip the branches and bark of nettle trees, causing them to wither and die. In contrast, the dry wood termite discovered in Changwon, Gyeongnam in September 2023 was predicted to have a low possibility of domestic settlement. Invasive pests can be eliminated during initial entry when their distribution range is narrow, but once they adapt to the domestic climate and spread, control becomes difficult, requiring continuous management. With recent climate change expanding pest distribution ranges and increasing population numbers, there is an urgent need to establish a preemptive response system to prevent new subtropical invasive pest entries. Researcher Nam Young-woo of the Forest Pest Research Division stated, "We are conducting research using artificial intelligence technology to predict and quickly respond to large-scale invasive pest occurrences" and "The calculated climate suitability will be used to quantitatively identify common characteristics of reported species and predict settlement possibilities of potential invasive pests not yet introduced." jyoung@yna.co.kr