Yeonggwang-gun Launches 'Fire Blight' Prevention for Apple and Pear Farmers

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeon Seong] Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 5th that it will conduct intensive surveillance to prevent fire blight disease targeting apple and pear cultivation farms.

As the occurrence of fire blight disease has recently increased, the Rural Development Administration raised the fire blight crisis alert level from ‘Caution’ to ‘Warning’ on the 1st.

This is another upgrade just one week after raising the alert level from ‘Interest’ to ‘Caution’ on the 25th of last month.

Fire blight disease is a quarantine pest and disease in Korea that requires the entire orchard to be closed once it occurs. It affects apples and pears, causing leaves, flowers, branches, stems, and fruits to turn brown or black as if burned and show symptoms of drying.

The county has organized a fire blight disease surveillance and control team to conduct intensive surveillance to prevent the occurrence of fire blight disease within the jurisdiction.

Fruit cultivation farmers can report if suspicious trees appear, and once a report is received, the agricultural technology center closest to the sender’s location will handle it.

Baek Young-mok, director of the Agricultural Technology Center, said, “There is no treatment for fire blight disease, its spread is rapid, and in non-affected areas, if symptoms are found on a single tree, the orchard within a 100m radius must be buried as a strengthened measure. Therefore, please keep orchards clean and report immediately to the Agricultural Technology Center if suspicious symptoms are found.”