The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will support cooling equipment and emergency water supplies to minimize crop and livestock damage caused by the heat wave.
On the 12th, the ministry held a meeting, chaired by Minister Song Mi-ryung, at the agricultural disaster countermeasures situation room to review measures by sector, including farmer safety and crops and livestock.
To prevent harm to farmers, the ministry said it will mobilize heat illness prevention personnel from the Rural Development Administration and employees of agricultural and livestock cooperatives nationwide to guide farmers on what to do during a heat wave.
To reduce livestock damage, it will provide items such as cooling equipment and emergency water supplies. Emergency water will be delivered using quarantine vehicles from local governments and agricultural and livestock cooperatives. To prevent crop damage, it will support spraying nutrients, controlling pests and diseases, and emergency irrigation.
Minister Song Mi-ryung said, "When a severe heat wave warning is issued, farmers should immediately stop fieldwork and absolutely refrain from going out to the fields."
In Gyeongsan and Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province, a severe heat wave warning was issued from 10 a.m. on the day. The warning is issued when, in areas where a maximum perceived temperature of 95 degrees or higher has already continued for two days or more, the maximum perceived temperature reaches 100.4 degrees or higher or the maximum temperature is 102.2 degrees or higher for at least one day. It is one level higher than the existing heat wave warning and was introduced on Jul. 1. This is the first time the warning has been issued.