Significant Damage to Crops, Agricultural Machinery, Livestock Barns, and Greenhouses
The agricultural and livestock foundations of five cities and counties in Gyeongbuk, where agriculture is the main livelihood, have suffered significant damage due to wildfires.
On the 27th, the fire engulfed the entire village, turning Imha-myeon, Andong into a wasteland. A farmer is looking at an apple orchard burned by the fire. Photo by Yonhap News.
As of the 30th, a preliminary tally of the damage in each city and county shows that in Andong, 216 vinyl greenhouses and mushroom cultivation houses, 290 cold storage facilities, 162 agricultural warehouses, and 280 farm sheds were destroyed. Additionally, 2,200 agricultural machines were burned. Damage also occurred in 82 livestock barns, resulting in the death of 184 cattle, 20,574 pigs, and 172,243 chickens. Beekeeping losses continue to increase.
In Cheongsong, damage occurred in 164.5 hectares of apple orchards and 13.5 hectares of plum orchards, and 619 livestock died in 30 barns. Also, 1,262 beekeeping colonies were burned. Typically, one colony, or "gun," represents a beehive containing 15,000 to 20,000 bees.
Along with this, two agricultural cooperative corporation factories and 310 agricultural facilities (49 vinyl greenhouses, 43 cold storage facilities, 30 barns, and 179 general warehouses) were not spared from the wildfire. Additionally, 194 agricultural machines were burned.
In Uiseong, damage was reported in 160 hectares of orchards and 55 hectares of other crops, with 100 agricultural machines completely destroyed. Reports of losses include 13 Korean cattle (Hanwoo), 3,200 pigs, and 3,325 beekeeping colonies.
In Yeongyang, damage occurred to 55 agricultural facilities, 26 agricultural machines, 3 farm sheds, 1 well, and 3 barn facilities, while crop damage is still being assessed.
On the 26th, a farm shed and vinyl greenhouse in Sinseok 2-ri, Namsun-myeon, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk, were burned and collapsed due to a wildfire that spread to the village the previous day. Yonhap News
Yeongdeok also suffered significant damage to seafood. In two land-based fish farms, 300,000 fish died, and three seafood processing plants along with one seaweed drying and processing facility were destroyed. Additionally, damage was reported to 50 cold storage and drying warehouses, 7 mushroom cultivation houses, 80 Korean cattle (Hanwoo), 56 barns, 51 livestock facilities, 1,500 laying hens, and 3,400 beekeeping colonies across 13 farms.
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