South Korea to supply stocks of kimchi cabbage after hot weather damages crop

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's government said on Wednesday it will ensure 24,000 tonnes of cabbage are supplied from national stocks to provide support during the upcoming peak kimchi-making season, after blaming unusually hot weather for affecting the cabbage crop.

The spicy, fermented dish is a staple in South Korea and can be made from vegetables such as radish, cucumber and green onion, but the most popular kimchi is cabbage-based.

The government annually announces measures to help stabilise the price of cabbage, radish, red pepper powder and other key kimchi ingredients for the November peak production season.

However, this year "unusually high temperatures" had caused concern about disruptions in cabbage and radish supplies, prompting the government to raise the amount of contractually grown cabbages it will release to the market by 10% versus the previous year, the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Cabbage used in kimchi, or napa cabbage, thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the summer season typically remain mostly below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).

However, South Korea's average June to August temperature was the highest this year since nationwide records were kept from 1973, with a record number of nights when temperatures remained at or above 25 C, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

With the summer crops affected, wholesale prices skyrocketed to 9,537 won ($6.90) per cabbage in mid-September from around 3,000 won in early July.

However, as of late October the price had fallen to 5,610 won and was expected to drop further in late November as the crop improves, the ministry said.

The government plans to improve stockpiling technology and... expand facilities for stockpiling cabbages, and is also keeping an emergency stock of 1,000 tonnes of cabbage at all times to prepare for any further supply disruptions, the ministry's head of food distribution and consumption policy told reporters.Some studies warn that warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening the crop so much that South Korea might not be able to grow napa cabbage one day.

($1 = 1,382.5200 won)

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies)