Pear-less Lunar New Year gift sets

[Anchor]

Many people are preparing fruit gifts for the upcoming Lunar New Year.

This year, it may be difficult to find gift sets that include pears.

Due to the impact of last year's heatwave, the price of pears has risen significantly, leading to their replacement with other fruits.

Reporter Lee Soo-yeon has the details.

[Report]

A large supermarket ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Three large, good-quality pears cost 26,000 won.

Individually sold pears are priced over 12,000 won each.

Consumers buying pears for ancestral rites hesitate several times due to the price.

[Kim Cheol-sook/Anyang, Gyeonggi Province: "It's too expensive. I keep reaching for it and then pulling back. Since it's for the rites, I usually spend less, but I have to buy it even if it's a bit expensive."]

The price of pears has risen because many pears were damaged during last summer's unusually long heatwave, significantly reducing the supply.

Even in the large-scale discount events that started ahead of the New Year, pears are excluded.

The government has even requested retailers to create 'pear-less' gift sets for the New Year.

[Kim Jong-gu/Director of Food Policy, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: "Mixed fruit sets of apples and pears are the most popular gift sets. However, since there are not many pears, I hope that pear gift sets can be replaced with other fruits as much as possible."]

The average consumer price of pears is 4,200 won, which is a 27% increase compared to this time last year.

This is in contrast to apples, which have decreased by more than 10% compared to last year.

Retailers are offering gift sets that include other fruits instead of pears.

In this large supermarket, orders for apple gift sets under 50,000 won have increased nearly fourfold compared to last year's New Year.

[Baek Jong-cheol/Supermarket Sales Manager: "Compared to pears, which have risen significantly in price from last year, apples are relatively cheaper, so many people are looking for apple gift sets."]

The supply situation of apples and pears has changed compared to last year's New Year.

This highlights the impact of rapidly changing climate conditions.

KBS News, Lee Soo-yeon.