This winter’s record-breaking snow and relentless cold devastated radish farms. Most of the crop is rotten, meaning growers won’t even attempt to ship it to market. Mike Laidman reports.
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Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo

Tractors ruthlessly plough up the radish fields where farmers had previously spent months taking care of the crop.

The radishes are crushed under the tractor tires.

These winter radishes have all rotted because of last month's record-breaking snow and cold. Farmers have to give up on shipping them to market.

Interview
Lee Seung-taek / Radish farmer
A farmer’s crops are like his children. We take great care to grow them and now that I can't do anything but discard them, I feel terrible.
<인터뷰 : 이승택/월동무 재배농가>
"농사꾼에게 작물이 자식과 같은데 밭을 갈아엎는다는 것은 말이 안 되죠. 오죽 답답하면 이러겠습니까."

Cut in half, this radish shows a yellowish ring. That’s the sign of rot after a frozen radish thaws.

But the rotten radish skins remain the same, so it’s not easy to differentiate the saleable crops from the rotten ones.

And some rotten radishes have been returned after being shipped.

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Daejeong Farmers Association seeks compensation

80 percent of winter radishes in (대정) Daejeong were damaged by the cold weather.

Farmers are asking for compensation for the losses they suffered from having to dispose their crops.

They also argue that the compensation should be based on actual farming instead of farmer registration lists.

Interview
Mun Seong-gwon / Representative, Daejeong Farmers Association
Compensation for losses don’t go to farm lessees. I hope some grants are available to cover lease costs and seed expenses.
<인터뷰 : 문성권/대정읍농민회장>
"(월동무) 폐기에 대한 직불금 지원과 임대한 밭은 지원되는 게 없어서 임대비와 종자값만이라도 지원됐으면 좋겠습니다."

The island has asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs to extend the damage report period for compensation because much of the damage in Jeju was confirmed late. The ministry says it has yet to review the request.

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Hyeon Gwang-hoon

[REPORTER]
Mike Laidman

As time wears on, damages mount, and frustration grows, and more and more radishes are simply being thrown away.

Mike Laidman KCTV