When South Korean farmer Ma Myung-sun's banana trees started flowering and producing fruit, he had mixed feelings.
Bananas usually grow in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and South Korea lies in a temperate zone with four distinct seasons.
Since 2012, South Korea's average annual temperature has shown a continuous warming trend, the Korea Meteorological Administration said in a report. It noted that the average temperature last year of 13.7 degrees Celsius (56.7 degrees Fahrenheit) was the highest since records began in 1973. Rainfall during the monsoon season last year was 660.2 mm nationwide, which is nearly double the 356.7 mm annual average.
Tropical and subtropical fruits are typically very expensive in South Korea. But while consumers are likely to welcome the prospect of cheaper local produce, climate change is also on their minds.
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