Food prices are surging in South Korea as an intense heat wave disrupts supplies of vegetables, livestock and fish, with some fresh produce prices rising by more than 150% in a month.
The retail price of 100 grammes of spinach jumped 152.3% in the month to Friday, according to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. The price of 10 cucumbers rose 54.8%, while 100 grammes of blue lettuce increased 41.7%.
The agriculture ministry said prolonged high temperatures had reduced vegetable supplies, with crops such as spinach, cucumbers and zucchinis particularly vulnerable to hot weather.
The impact has extended beyond crops, with livestock farms also reporting heavy losses. As of Friday, 901,602 livestock had died from the heat, about 95% of them poultry such as chickens and ducks, according to agriculture ministry data.
Warmer ocean temperatures have also affected fish farms, where 864,497 fish had died by Friday.
The losses are feeding through to seafood prices. The average auction price of flounder rose to 22,300 won (US$15.84) per kilogramme between 27 July and 1 August, up 2.29% from the previous week and 13.2% from the same period last year, according to the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives.
Industry observers expect fish prices to remain under pressure in the coming months, as sea temperatures typically take longer to cool than land temperatures. The impact of warmer water could be most pronounced in September, they said.
The government is taking steps to contain further price increases, including raising imports of broiler chickens and expanding seafood discount events at retailers.
The heat wave pushed daytime temperatures as high as 40°C in some areas earlier last week. Conditions are expected to ease on Sunday, although temperatures could still reach around 34°C.
