A severe heatwave has dried out agricultural land on Jeju Island, creating an emergency for carrot farmers attempting to sow their crops [1].
The drought threatens the regional food supply and the livelihoods of farmers who rely on specific planting windows. With soil moisture depleted and reservoirs low, the ability to establish new crops is now in jeopardy.
Agricultural monitoring across Jeju shows critical water shortages. Out of 39 observation points across the island, 10 have been classified as "very lacking" in soil moisture, while another 10 are classified as "lacking" [1]. The crisis is most acute in the eastern region around Kimnyeong and across most of the island, with the exception of the southern part [2].
In the Kimnyeong area, soil moisture pressure was measured at approximately 1,230 kPa [1]. This measurement is roughly 25 times the standard adequate level for healthy soil [1].
Farmers are struggling to combat the dry conditions even with available infrastructure. Farm owner 송금희 said they have to postpone carrot sowing and other farming activities. She said that even when they apply agricultural water, the ground remains dry.
Reservoirs have seen significant drops in water levels due to the continuous extreme heat. This depletion of both surface and soil water has left the land unable to absorb the limited irrigation available to farmers [1, 2].
“A severe heatwave has dried out agricultural land on Jeju Island, creating an emergency for carrot farmers.”
The extreme divergence between current soil moisture levels and agricultural standards suggests a systemic failure of the local water table to recover during the heatwave. Because carrot sowing is time-sensitive, these delays may lead to reduced crop yields or a total loss of the season's harvest, potentially increasing market prices for the vegetable in South Korea.
