"Each day, around a dozen pigs die. The temperature inside the pig barn rises to 39 degrees, and even with fans running and ice given, it is hard to endure the situation."
The owner of Farm A, which raises pigs on a scale of 30,000 heads near Sejong Special Self-Governing City, said on the 14th, "Pigs do not have sweat glands and cannot cool down," adding, "Giving ice to pigs, like people eating ice cream when hot, is a survival measure that has to be taken."
He added, "Even with fans and air conditioning running, we have no choice but to open the doors to reduce harmful gases in the barn, causing the cool air to escape," and remarked, "The conditions are completely different from those of people who keep windows closed and use air conditioning."
Another representative from Farm B noted, "As the heat wave intensified, over 150 pigs died in less than two weeks," stating, "This year, unless farmers have facilities capable of withstanding up to 40 degrees, it will be difficult to survive."
The early heat wave has led to an increase in livestock deaths, such as chickens and pigs, and has also damaged crops. The government has begun to respond by supplying pesticide materials and price stabilization measures, while some local governments are supporting the installation of ice machines so farms can produce ice for pigs themselves. This is a measure to respond to 'heatflation' caused by the heat wave and climate anomalies.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 15th, the number of reported livestock deaths across the country reached 526,000 as of the 10th. Most of the dead were poultry, with over 500,000 chickens and ducks, but the number of pigs has also surpassed 19,000 and is trending upward.
Crop damage is also following. Cabbages that were about to be harvested are wilting in the heat, and other leafy vegetables sensitive to high temperatures, such as lettuce and perilla leaves, are beginning to suffer damage. If the high-temperature phenomenon, which has started earlier than usual, continues through late summer, it is expected that the area of damage will increase further this year. Last year, the area of crop damage due to the heat wave reached 21,200 hectares, equivalent to about 30,000 soccer fields (0.71 hectares each).
Given the circumstances, signs of heatflation are also emerging. As the supply of agricultural products becomes unstable due to the early heat, prices of major summer items like watermelon, cabbage, radish, and melon are rising uniformly.
According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), as of the 14th, the retail price of a watermelon has reached 29,816 won, up 39.75% from the previous year and 41.84% from the average. The price of a head of cabbage is 4,365 won, a jump of 26.23% from the previous month.
The summer seasonal fruit, melon (9,955 won), has increased by 20.23% compared to the previous year, while peaches (2,377.6 won for 10) have risen by 13.59%. The price of chicken (broiler), which sees increased demand during the summer heat, has also risen by 4.28% compared to last year, reaching 6,138 won.
The government is activating a comprehensive response system to minimize damage from the heat wave. A task force (TF) composed of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, local governments, NongHyup, and livestock-related organizations will operate until August, conducting daily checks on livestock drinking water and raising conditions.
Some local governments are providing farms with guidelines on methods to give ice to pigs and the use of rapid cooling devices, as well as supplying shades, fans, emergency generators, and nutritional supplements. The local governments plan to swiftly execute about 22.1 billion won in budget allocated for heat wave response before August.
Given the concerns over poor crop yields, especially for major vegetable items like cabbage, a 'growth management committee' is being operated to inspect field conditions together with local NongHyup farms and agricultural technology centers. The government has secured 35,500 tons of stockpiled cabbage to prepare for a price surge and plans to supply it to the market to stabilize prices according to the supply-demand situation.
However, there are criticisms that the fundamental response measures are inadequate. In particular, livestock farms are demanding support for the installation costs of cooling systems necessary for heatwave response and measures to alleviate the burden of electricity costs for operation. Despite farm electricity being cheaper than industrial rates, during the summer, when high temperatures require long operation of air conditioners and fans, power bills can reach millions to tens of millions of won monthly, making it difficult for farms to bear such costs.
Lee Hee-young, representative of Dongsan Farm, said, "To respond to the heat, running air conditioning that can simultaneously lower temperature and humidity is the most effective, but many farms find it difficult even to install due to the burden of electricity costs," adding, "Even if they have the capacity for installation, if they exceed KEPCO's contracted capacity, the power supply itself can be blocked, making it nearly impossible to expand air conditioning."