More tropical fruit as Korea grows warmer

The rise of average temperatures in Korea due to climate change is leading to higher tropical fruit production here, according to a research institute on Thursday.

Production of tropical fruits rose 52.5 percent compared to last year, reaching 1174 tons, said the Korea Rural Economic Institute.

Passionfruit was the most-produced fruit at 408.7 tons, followed by mangoes, pineapple, dragon fruit and papayas.

The KREI said that the increase in production was due to rising temperatures, which allowed tropical fruits to be grown in more parts of the country including Daegu, Busan, North Jeolla Province and the Chungcheong provinces.

Meanwhile, nontropical fruits such as apples or peaches have dropped in production, with farms moving north to accommodate changing climates, according to the institute.

Over the last century, temperatures in Korea have risen 1.8 degrees, roughly 2.4 times the global average.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)