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'In total despair': Unseasonal cold snap wreaks havoc on pear production in top-growing township

Published: 16 Apr. 2025, 08:06 Updated: 16 Apr. 2025, 12:06

Artificial pollination is being carried out in a pear orchard in Sabolguk-myeon, Sangju, North Gyeongsang, on April 15. [CHON KWON-PIL]

“What good is inspecting the pollen when there are no ovaries?”

Orchardist Lee Mi-suk made the remark as she gently dusted pollen on the white pear blossoms at a pear orchard in Sabolguk-myeon, Sangju, North Gyeongsang, on Monday. On closer inspection, the center of each flower — the pistil — had turned pitch black, as if charred. The unseasonal spring cold had inflicted frostbite-like damage on the fragile blossoms.

“In over 30 years of growing pears, I’ve never seen the blossoms freeze and die off like this,” she said.

Sabolguk-myeon is the most productive pear-growing township in the country. Half of all Sangju pears come from this area. Disaster struck the region at the end of last month. On March 30, morning temperatures plunged to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius (22.6 degrees Fahrenheit), killing the pistils inside the flower buds and ending any chance of the blossoms bearing fruit.

Local estimates suggest that more than 90 percent of the farms in Sabolguk-myeon have been affected. Making matters worse, another cold snap hit on April 13, bringing frost and even flurries of snow, damaging late-blooming blossoms as well. Even if some manage to bear fruit, they are likely to grow into misshapen pears.

“Normally, we sell about 50 billion won [$35 million] worth of pears annually, but this year we’ll be lucky to make even 5 billion won,” said Park Jong-uk, who heads the Sabolguk-myeon community.

The darkened ovule of a pear blossom, left, and a pear blossom ovule that was not damaged in Sabolguk-myeon, Sangju, North Gyeongsang, on April 15. [CHON KWON-PIL]

The extreme damage this spring is being blamed on erratic weather. An unusually warm spell in mid-March pushed daytime highs to nearly 30 degrees Celsius, prompting blossoms to open a week earlier than usual. Then, a sharp drop in temperatures killed the pistils, leaving the flowers sterile. Local farmers installed wind machines to blow hot air across the orchards to prevent frost damage, but they had little effect.

“Some farms are reporting sterility in up to 99 percent of their blossoms," said Lee Sung-dae, 62, head of the pear exporters’ association at the Sabolguk branch of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation. "Young farmers who moved here and borrowed money to grow pears are in total despair.

"The weather went from summer to winter in an instant — we were powerless.”

Peach trees and other fruit crops that flower in early spring have also taken a hit from the erratic weather. In North Chungcheong, 545 cases of cold damage to crops were reported as of April 14. Peaches made up 210 of those reports, followed by 126 for apples and 68 for plums.

A pear blossom in a Sabolguk-myeon orchard in Sangju, North Gyeongsang, on April 15. The pistil has turned black due to damage from unseasonably low temperatures. [CHON KWON-PIL]

Apple production, already limited by recent wildfires in North Gyeongsang, could suffer further if the cold damage spreads, potentially disrupting the supply chain.

Some are warning of a repeat of last year’s inflationary spiral caused by climate-related crop failures. Fruit and vegetable prices surged last year, following a summer of extreme heat and rainfall, and were cited as a major driver of inflation. The average price of pears jumped 71.9 percent on year, while tangerines rose 46.2 percent and apples, 30.2 percent.

Climate experts point to spring weather anomalies as a key factor behind both poor harvests and rising consumer prices. As global warming accelerates, fruit trees are blooming earlier and becoming more vulnerable to sudden cold snaps.

“In the past, we believed that warmer weather and earlier flowering would boost crop productivity,” said Jeong Su-jong, a professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies. “But what we’re seeing is the opposite — more frequent spring frost damage and worsening productivity. Lower yields will have a significant impact on food prices.”

White pear blossoms are in full bloom in Sabolguk-myeon, Sangju, North Gyeongsang, on April 15. [CHON KWON-PIL]

Pear blossoms in an orchard in Sabolguk-myeon, Sangju, North Gyeongsang, on April 15. The pistils have blackened due to unusually low temperatures. [CHON KWON-PIL]

Farmers are calling for urgent research and countermeasures to address climate-related disasters. Some countries, including Germany and the United States, have introduced index-based climate insurance programs that provide payouts during extreme weather events. Korea has its own crop disaster insurance system, but only around half of all farmers enroll, and frost damage is only partially covered.

“While cutting carbon emissions remains important, we need to prioritize climate adaptation policies at both the governmental and parliamentary level to minimize the real and present damages to farmers and curb inflation,” Jeong said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]