Recently, an unusually quick onset of heat has heated up vegetable fields nationwide, followed by concentrated monsoon rains, triggering an emergency for crop yields. Notably, the damage to leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, and perilla leaves, which are sensitive to hot and humid weather, is significant.
The monsoon reduces the sunlight available to plants and floods fields, softening crops. If intense heat returns after the monsoon, there is also the issue of leaves burning. Vegetables of diminished quality age faster, making it difficult to maintain freshness during distribution. Prices for vegetables have already risen sharply, and there are projections that this trend will continue until August.
Major supermarket chains in Korea have been busy since last year to secure fresh vegetables this summer. In this process, they are actively discovering alternative production areas like smart farms and utilizing special storage technologies to enhance supply stability.
On the 17th, at the headquarters of Lotte Mart in Songpa District, Seoul, Kim Si-eun and Hong Yoon-hee, Merchandisers (MD) for the vegetable team at Lotte Mart, met with ChosunBiz and said, "Our top priority is to respond quickly to climate change and refine our distribution methods to provide customers with high-quality products at reasonable prices every year." The following is a Q&A.
─ This year, the heat wave started unusually quickly, and recently, the monsoon has also arrived. What impact do these climate anomalies have on the supply of leafy vegetables?
The temperature inside greenhouses can rise significantly higher than outside when the maximum temperature reaches the upper 30s. During such times, the photosynthesis efficiency of leafy vegetables decreases, growth may stop, and damage from pests tends to increase. Additionally, the concentrated rainfall during the monsoon leads to flooding of crops and reduces the sunlight reaching plants, weakening their roots and leaves.
In fact, due to the early heat wave, this year's shipping volume from production areas nationwide has decreased compared to normal years. With the expectation of another heat wave following the monsoon, the issue of shipping volume is likely to become more serious." (Hong Yoon-hee MD)
─ What key preparations have you made in the process of preparing for the supply of vegetables ahead of summer?
We focused on discovering alternative production areas. Generally, spinach sold in the summer is produced in Gyeonggi Province. However, since last year, we have collaborated with farms in the Pyeongchang Daegwallyeong area to pilot the cultivation of high-altitude spinach and are preparing for shipment. High-altitude areas experience relatively less damage from heat waves, allowing spinach to maintain high quality despite weather influences.
Additionally, this summer, we are also showcasing lettuce and perilla leaves cultivated in smart farms. Smart farms are less affected by climate and are known to maintain uniform quality throughout the year. To this end, we visited smart farm operations in Buan, Jeollabuk-do, and Geumsan, Chungcheongnam-do, in January to secure additional quantities of lettuce and perilla leaves." (Kim Si-eun MD)
─ It seems you are also paying attention to the distribution process.
We are utilizing the Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage facility at the Lotte Fresh Quality Innovation Center in Chungbuk Jeungpyeong. This storage facility can precisely adjust the levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen to suppress the aging of agricultural products and preserve freshness. For spinach, which usually wilts within 2 to 3 days, using CA storage can extend its distribution period to as long as one month.
At the beginning of last month, we received a total of 6,400 bundles of spinach from farms in Gyeongbuk and stored them in CA storage. From the 10th of this month, we released the quantities nationwide and sold out. Recently, the price of spinach has risen to as much as 4,000 won per bundle, but we priced it at 2,990 won. Given the quality, I believe we were chosen by consumers." (Hong Yoon-hee MD)
─ With global warming, there is an increasing possibility of experiencing similar abnormal weather patterns like this year's again. If you have any long-term plans for a stable supply of leafy vegetables during the summer, what are they?
We are striving to find new production areas. For example, normally, the harvest of udo (a wild edible plant) is completed by early to mid-May. However, we discovered udo farms in Jirisan and signed contracts to showcase fresh udo in July. Furthermore, we plan to increase the contracted amounts for crops grown in smart farms each year." (Kim Si-eun MD)
We are consistently communicating with contracted farms to test new farming methods and gradually plant new varieties to find ways to maintain optimal quality. Additionally, during times like this, MDs personally visit production areas to visually assess quality. One day, I even traveled 1,100 kilometers by car in a single day to visit eight cabbage farms in the Haenam region." (Hong Yoon-hee MD)
─ What message do you want to convey to consumers?
The efforts of the MDs and farmers are hidden behind the products displayed in supermarket shelves. We will continue to work hard to provide products at reasonable prices while meeting strict quality standards." (Kim Si-eun MD)
From the perspective of a vegetable MD, this is the most challenging time of the year. Nevertheless, we will ensure that customers can purchase vegetables they can trust at affordable prices, from supply responses to careful selection of products." (Hong Yoon-hee MD)