Mandarin orange prices are falling, so growers are thinning out their orchards. Joseph Kim reports.
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Aewol-eup, Jeju City
A roaring saw is cutting down a mandarin tree from its trunk.
Then the cut log is crushed in a wood chipper.
Half of the 600 trees in this farm are removed.
The densely packed mandarin farm now has space between the trees.
INTERVIEW
Gang Sang-hoon / Mandarin grower
At a high density orchard, it takes longer to spray pesticide and less light gets through. That’s why I decided to remove half of the trees.
<인터뷰 : 강상훈 / 감귤농가>
"밀식재배를 하면 약 칠 때도 불편하고, 햇빛도 덜 맞아서 간벌을 해야겠다고 생각했습니다."
Local farmers are removing half of their trees to reduce fruit production and improve quality.
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Enough area between trees allows sunlight to hit fruits, which increases their sugar content and decreases acidity.
The wind blowing between trees helps reduce the emergence of pests.
A reduced number of trees also means less work and lower maintenance costs.
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Farming association joins mandarin cutting effort
As mandarin prices dropped eight percent, farmers chose to make efforts to improve competitiveness.
Recording
Lee Gyeong-mi, Gang Deok-chan / Mandarin growers
The responsibility to improve competitiveness lies with farming associations and growers.
<싱크 : 이경미 강덕찬 / 감귤농가>
"하나. 우리 감귤산업의 경쟁력을 높이는 길은 농업단체와 농가의 역할에 있으니."
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Goal: reduce trees on 250ha of farms
This year's goal is to have 250 hectares of farms with a reduced number of mandarin trees.
The province has set up situation rooms and organized professional crews to aid farmers.
INTERVIEW
Hyeon Deok-hyeon / Jeju Agricultural Research & Extension Services
Professional crews are helping farmers cut and chip trees. This thinning is essential for producing quality fruit.
<인터뷰 : 현덕현 / 제주도농업기술원 기술보급과장>
"작업단에서 전체적으로 작업을 다 해주는 체제로 (운영되고 있습니다). 필수적으로 간벌이 이뤄져야 고품질 생산이 될 수 있습니다."
[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon
Along with the tree cutting, the province is planning to reform orchards to produce quality mandarins.
Joseph Kim, KCTV
