[Getty Images Bank]
[Getty Images Bank]

Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung visited a major apple-producing region Thursday to inspect crop conditions and early-season apple shipments, as the government pledged to maintain a stable supply through the harvest season by minimizing heat-related damage.

Song traveled to Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where she toured apple farms and a regional apple packing center (APC) to check on the harvest of early-ripening varieties and assess the growth of key cultivars.

She first visited fields where green Tsugaru apples were being harvested, then examined the condition of major autumn varieties — including Hongro and Fuji — and offered words of encouragement to farmers.

Song also reviewed the progress of the Apple Stable Production Task Force, which the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs launched this year to support steady apple output, and called on local governments, agricultural cooperatives and the Rural Development Administration to maintain rigorous crop management through the harvest period.

With a heat wave continuing, she asked that on-site technical guidance be strengthened to minimize sunscald and fruit cracking.

Song then visited the Yeongju APC to observe apple sorting and shipping operations, stressing the role of the retail distribution network in ensuring high-quality apples reach consumers reliably.

The ministry has operated the Apple Stable Production Task Force since April, with local governments, agricultural cooperatives and the Rural Development Administration participating to conduct regular checks on growing conditions in key production areas and provide ongoing technical support.

"Thanks to the proactive management by farmers and local governments, apple growing conditions this year are in good shape, and I am grateful," Song said. "We will focus all our efforts on ensuring that early-season apples are supplied to the market stably so that people do not have to worry about grocery prices." She added that the ministry would continue to strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic fruit industry by building a foundation that allows farmers to grow fruit with confidence, even as the agricultural environment changes rapidly due to abnormal weather.


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