South Korea: Prolonged heatwaves lead to brown planthopper infestations, ravaging rice farms
The Korean Peasant League (KPL), the Korean Women Peasants’ Association (KWPA), and other farm unions are urging the government to declare the brown planthopper infestation as a major agricultural disaster, calling for urgent action to support affected farmers.
As the harvest season approaches in South Korea, a rapid spread of the brown planthopper has ravaged rice farms, particularly in South Jeolla Province. The pest outbreak, exacerbated by prolonged heatwaves, has severely impacted the region, leaving many farms with little to harvest. Though the spread has slowed after recent rains following the Chuseok holiday, the damage left behind is significant.
South Jeolla Province has been the hardest hit, accounting for 75% of the total brown planthopper outbreak nationwide, with 19,603 hectares affected. This is approximately 13.3% of the province’s total rice cultivation area (148,000 ha), a 5.1-fold increase compared to the average yearly occurrence. The extent of the damage has prompted urgent calls from local peasant farmers and agricultural groups for government intervention.
In response to the crisis, South Jeolla Province has allocated 46 billion KRW for emergency pest control efforts, covering 48,000 hectares of farmland. Additionally, 1.6 billion KRW in emergency reserve funds has been distributed to 14 cities and counties in the province. The provincial government has also requested the national government recognize the brown planthopper outbreak as an agricultural disaster and called for the purchase of all damaged rice.
Despite these efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) has been hesitant to officially declare the situation a disaster. While the ministry has agreed to purchase the damaged rice that peasants wish to sell, it has argued that the damage is not widespread enough across the country to warrant a disaster declaration. This position has frustrated local officials and peasants in South Jeolla, who argue that the severity of the damage in their region alone justifies the designation.
Kim Myung-gi, chairperson of the National Rice Producers Association, emphasized the desperate situation, stating, “It must be recognized as an agricultural disaster. I recently visited parts of Jangheung County, and it’s impossible to harvest anything. Even if we did, the revenue wouldn’t cover the cost of a combine harvester, and only broken rice grains would remain. After being hit by flooding and the brown planthopper, there’s no solution. The government is too disconnected from the situation on the ground.”
Kim also pointed out that the situation has been worsened by lodging—when rice plants fall over due to flooding—making it easier for the brown planthopper to spread. He called for 100% recognition of the damage in cases of lodging and for the government to take a more proactive approach in assisting farmers.
Peasant unions and agricultural groups have been vocal in their calls for action. On September 19 and again on September 23, the National Rice Producers Association and several peasants’ organizations issued statements urging the government to implement comprehensive measures. These groups called for the declaration of special disaster zones in the most affected areas, as well as detailed and broad-ranging support, including financial assistance for pest control and stabilization funds for peasants’ livelihoods.
On September 26, unions from South Jeolla held another press conference to demand that the government recognize the brown planthopper outbreak as an agricultural disaster. The KPL’s Gwangju-Jeolla branch, the KWPA’s Gwangju-Jeolla branch, and the National Rice Producers Association’s Gwangju-Jeolla branch gathered in front of the South Jeolla Provincial Office in Muan County to make their case. They called for the declaration of special disaster zones, the purchase of damaged rice at fair prices, and immediate government action to support the affected regions.
South Jeolla peasant-farmers highlighted the scale of the damage, stating, “Over 15% of the rice cultivation area in our region has been severely affected by brown planthoppers. The damage is indescribable, especially in areas like Goheung, Haenam, Boseong, Jangheung, Muan, and Hampyeong, and it continues to spread. The pest outbreak was worsened by this summer’s heatwave, which shortened the pests’ life cycle. Since the heatwave is the direct cause, it must be recognized as a natural disaster, and an immediate damage investigation should be conducted.”
They also urged the provincial government, local councils, and city and county officials to promptly assess the damage and advocate for the national government to recognize the outbreak as a disaster. At the press conference in South Jeolla, they symbolically burned bundles of rice damaged by the brown planthopper to emphasize their demand for government action.
In a bid to further push the issue, the peasant unions have announced plans to protest in Yongsan, Seoul, near the presidential office on September 30. They plan to travel to the capital with provincial and city council members, and have called on farmers from other affected areas, such as North Jeolla and South Chungcheong Provinces, to join the protest. These two regions have also been significantly impacted by the brown planthopper outbreak, though not to the same extent as South Jeolla. As of September 19, 2.6% of North Jeolla’s total rice cultivation area (2,707 ha) and 1.7% of South Chungcheong’s area (2,274 ha) had been affected.
The brown planthopper infestation has exposed the vulnerability of South Korea’s agricultural sector to extreme weather conditions. With climate change causing more frequent and severe heatwaves, the risk of similar outbreaks in the future remains high, making it even more crucial for the government to develop long-term strategies to protect peasant-farmers and ensure food sovereignty. The declaration of a disaster, peasants argue, is the first step in addressing these challenges.
This article is based on a news report by Kim Soo-na for IKP News.