With the arrival of summer and lighter clothing, an increasing number of people are embarking on serious weight management. Recently, "Healthy Pleasure," which involves enjoying food in a healthy way while ensuring both taste and nutrition rather than simply starving oneself, is establishing itself as a new diet trend.

McDonald's Korea continues its efforts to co-prosper with local communities by introducing a new menu item featuring glutinous corn from Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, to mark the 5th anniversary of the ‘Taste of Korea’ project.

As July began, the incidence of fire blight in fruit trees appears to have subsided. However, it was found that the disease was concentrated in apples. The government plans to pilot a new control method starting in the middle of this month, which involves removing infected branches first.

(Korea Agricultural News = Reporter Kim Eun-jin) The Rural Development Administration (Administrator Lee Seung-don) urged rice farmers nationwide to conduct careful observations for early detection, stating that the likelihood of brown planthoppers entering and establishing themselves in Korea is currently high. Results confirming brown planthopper occurrences at local surveillance sites in Vietnam and China this June showed that the number of collected individuals was higher than in 2024. Furthermore, according to data surveyed by the National Institute of Food Science and Technology using a brown planthopper domestic entry prediction program, the first migration was confirmed on June 19 this year, 14 days later than last year. Potential entry points were identified as the southern region, the southwestern coast, and some inland areas. Rice that has landed in Korea

Dongbang Agro announced on the 3rd that it conducted industry and job training for five new employees in the sales and marketing fields for four weeks from June 8 to July 3 at its in-house technology research institute located in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. These employees have not been with the company for one year.

The National Institute of Horticultural and Special Crops Science (Director Kim Dae-hyun) of the Rural Development Administration and the College of Biotechnology at Sungkyunkwan University (Dean Cho Jae-yeol) recently announced that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the competitiveness of the horticulture and special crop industry at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on June 29.

Major seed companies, including NH Nongwoo Bio, Asia Seed, and Farm Hannong, recommended varieties for July. NH Nongwoo Bio selected tomatoes and cabbages with complex disease resistance, Asia Seed selected mid-to-late maturing onions with excellent storability, and Farm Hannong selected watermelons with excellent growth ability during low-temperature periods.

(Korea Agricultural News = Reporter Kang Hye-ran) The Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services (Director Jeong Chan-sik) announced that it will conduct an "intensive advance monitoring of rice pests and diseases" targeting five cities and counties along the southern coast to minimize damage from summer rice pests and diseases. The southern coast serves as a major entry route for migratory pests, such as brown planthoppers and rice leaf folders, flying in from China and other regions, making it a key monitoring area for verifying early outbreaks. This monitoring initiative was organized to identify the occurrence status of migratory pests like brown planthoppers and rice leaf folders at an early stage, and to provide on-site information necessary for timely control measures and the implementation of control projects in the cities and counties. The advance monitoring will be conducted for 11 weeks from July 6 to September 18, covering Tongyeong, Sacheon, and

(Korea Agricultural News = Reporter Kim Chae-eun) With the recent continuation of high temperatures and dry weather, concerns are growing regarding mite outbreaks in fruit orchards, including apples, pears, citrus fruits, and peaches. In particular, because mites are very small and difficult to detect in the early stages, and have the characteristic of rapidly increasing in density within a short period after infestation, the importance of early monitoring and control is being further emphasized. If mite damage becomes severe, it can lead to a decrease in leaf photosynthetic capacity, premature leaf drop, reduced fruit growth, and weakened tree vigor. Recently, due to the influence of high-temperature environments, the timing of infestation has accelerated and the rate of generation repetition has increased, leading to issues regarding pesticide resistance.

(Korea Agricultural News = Reporter Kim Chae-eun) With the recent continuation of high temperatures, concerns are growing regarding the outbreak of complex pests, including tobacco moths, thrips, and whiteflies, in horticultural crop cultivation sites such as chili peppers, tomatoes, and Korean melons. In particular, since tobacco moth larvae burrow into the fruit to cause damage, severe infestation leads to a significant decline in fruit marketability and substantial economic losses. Furthermore, as damaged fruit can lead to secondary diseases such as soft rot, the importance of density management during the early stages of infestation is being increasingly emphasized. Recently, due to the influence of high temperatures, the annual occurrence of three generations has increased to four, and coupled with the issue of pesticide resistance, the period of action

Mahatma Gandhi, who led a nonviolent resistance movement against imperialism, is a respected figure not only in his homeland of India but also in Korea, which experienced colonial rule during a similar period.

On the 3rd, NH Nonghyup Insurance launched the ‘Community Relay Onion Sharing Campaign’ to help onion farmers struggling due to plummeting prices and to support vulnerable groups in the local community.

(Korea Agricultural News = Reporter) Nonghyup Food has introduced processed rice products utilizing domestic rice to meet the growing consumer interest in low-sugar foods. Nonghyup Food announced on the 6th that it has launched "Nonghyup Low-Sugar Rice Cereal," made using high-quality domestic rice. This product was jointly developed by the Food Research Institute of Nonghyup Economic Holdings and Bukjeonju Nonghyup. It is characterized by the use of rice flour and barley flour, including Sindongjin rice—a representative variety of the Jeonbuk region—and the complete absence of wheat flour. Nonghyup Food developed this product in line with the recent trend of increasing consumer demand for healthy eating habits and low-sugar foods. It targets not only consumers who usually feel burdened by wheat flour consumption

It is difficult to lower production costs for sweet potato soju because it has a lower alcohol yield after fermentation than rice soju. It is necessary to develop brewing sweet potato varieties with high starch content and yeast with excellent aroma.

Seedling cultivation accounts for 80 to 90 percent of the success or failure of strawberry farming. However, due to the excessively hot summers and heavy rainfall over the past few years, it is difficult to grow high-quality seedlings as in the past.

With the rainy season entering its full swing, heavy rain is forecast for various regions from this weekend through early next week. On the 3rd, the Rural Development Administration urged thorough preparations to minimize damage to crops and agricultural facilities.

As temperatures rise significantly during the summer, the risk of pest and disease outbreaks increases, requiring caution to prevent their influx. Additionally, it is suggested that thorough soil management is necessary for garlic and onions, as July and August are critical periods for preparing for the next crop.