South Korea's kimchi makers are facing a climate change-induced shortage of cabbages. The shortage sent prices rocketing this year, exacerbating damage inflicted by cheaper Chinese offerings. It is one of the reasons the Korean government recently laid out plans to construct two massive cabbage storage facilities.
At 9,900 square metres each, the facilities to be built in the rural counties of Goesan and Haenam will, combined, be equivalent to three football fields in size. They will be able to store 10,000 tons of cabbages and pickle 50 tons of cabbages daily. Construction, expected to cost taxpayers 58 billion won ($40 million), is due to be completed in 2025.
A climate shift in recent years has brought higher temperatures and heavier rain, damaging cabbage crops and curtailing supply. This year, prices of cabbages doubled in less than three months, part of a broad spike in inflation to 24-year highs hit in July.
Source: reuters.com