[Asia Economy Reporter Sumi Hwang] Foreign media reported that crops typically seen in tropical regions have been grown in the UK due to the impact of climate change.
According to recent BBC News reports, tropical crops such as figs and avocados were cultivated across the UK this summer. Russell Watkins, a gardener at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), said, "Tropical plants are thriving in gardens," adding, "Varieties that were expected not to survive just a few years ago are now enduring the winter and being cultivated."
A cleaner from the East Anglia region also told BBC News, "It is becoming increasingly easier to grow non-native plants." He, who grows tropical plants as a hobby, recently harvested watermelons and figs.
This is attributed to the record-breaking heat and dry weather. The warmer and drier climate has made it easier to grow tropical plants.
The RHS stated, "Last winter was wetter and warmer than usual, and this summer has been hotter and drier," adding, "With increased variability in rainfall, it seems that favorable conditions for the growth of some tropical plants have been created."
Meanwhile, the UK Met Office warned that warming in the UK is progressing faster than the global average temperature increase. The average surface temperature of the Earth, which has rapidly warmed since the early Industrial Revolution, is known to have risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1850.
Experts also expressed concerns that while such weather may facilitate the cultivation of tropical crops, it could have negative effects on overall crop yields.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
