Battling the Cold: Jangheung's Shiitake Mushroom Farms Face Environmental Crisis
Battling the Cold: Jangheung's Shiitake Mushroom Farms Face Environmental Crisis Cold Damage Strikes Jangheung's Shiitake Mushroom Industry Jangheung County is grappling with a significant blow to its shiitake mushroom industry, with 113 out of 150 local farms, totaling 1.73 million trees, falling victim to cold damage caused by extreme weather conditions. Financial Impact and Disaster Management The estimated damage amounts to 743 million won, prompting Jangheung County to consider applying for a disaster management loan from Jeollanam-do. Cold damage has been concentrated in standing trees, particularly oak stumps aged two to three years after fungus inoculation. Weather-Induced Setback The abnormal weather shift between spring and winter is believed to be the culprit. A warm period in early December caused premature mushroom sprouting, only to be followed by a sudden cold snap, leading to the rotting and drying up of the mushrooms. The majority of shiitake farmers in the r...