Green olives (Image courtesy of Pixabay)
JEONJU, Jan. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — By 2090, climate change could enable the cultivation of subtropical crops such as tea trees for green tea and olive trees in regions as far north as Gangwon Province, according to projections released by the Rural Development Administration (RDA) on Wednesday.
Expanding Cultivation Areas
Currently, tea trees are grown primarily in Jeju, Hadong, and Boseong, but future climate conditions could make most of South Korea, excluding parts of mountainous Gangwon Province, suitable for cultivation. Olive trees, currently limited to Jeju, Geoje, and Namhae, could expand into central regions like Seosan, Sangju, and Gangneung by the 2090s.
Implications for Agriculture
The study, based on climate change scenarios, reflects growing demand for crops like green tea, popular in lattes and desserts, and olives, valued for ornamental purposes. The findings are expected to guide agricultural policy and crop selection, with detailed maps available on the RDA’s fruit and quality management system website.
The RDA plans to continue studying the cultivation suitability of 21 additional crops by 2027 to further assist the agricultural sector in adapting to climate change.
Proactive Measures
“We will expand our predictive maps for subtropical crop cultivation to support proactive climate adaptation strategies in agriculture,” said Jeon Ji-hye, Director of the Agricultural Research Institute for Climate Change at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
