SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- Prices of agricultural goods in South Korea have spiked as the country grapples with a severe heat wave, industry data showed Sunday.

The retail price of 100 grams of spinach vaulted 152.3 percent as of Friday, up 152.3 percent from the same day a month earlier, according to the data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.

The price of 10 cucumbers climbed 54.8 percent during the same period, while 100 grams of blue lettuce jumped 41.7 percent, according to the data.

The government attributed the hike to the prolonged heat wave, as vegetables, especially green vegetables, are vulnerable to high temperatures.

"Vegetables such as spinach, cucumbers and zucchinis grow well in cool temperatures and tend to surge in prices as their supply drops in the summer season," an agriculture ministry said.

The scorching heat has also affected livestock and fish farms.

As of Friday, a total of 901,602 livestock have died due to the heat wave, of which 95 percent were poultry, such as chickens and ducks, latest data from the agriculture ministry showed.

At aqua farms, 864,497 fish were reported dead due to warming ocean temperatures as of Friday.

This has pushed up fish prices, with the average auction price of 1 kilogram of flounder at 22,300 won (US$15.84) from July 27 to Aug. 1, up 2.29 percent from a week earlier. Compared to the same period last year, the price rose by 13.2 percent, according to the data from the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives.

Industry watchers expect prices of fish to rise further next month, since sea temperatures tend to cool down more slowly than land temperatures.

"The effect of high water temperatures has just begun, and we expect it to be most pronounced in September. Especially flounders and rockfish will continue to be sold at high prices," an industry watcher said.

Amid growing concerns over heat-driven inflation, the government is carrying out various measures to prevent a rise in consumer prices, such as increasing imports of broiler chickens and expanding promotional events for fish at discount stores.

The extreme heat wave saw midday temperatures rise as high as 40 C early last week and is expected to ease Sunday, with daytime highs forecast to reach around 34 C.

fairydust@yna.co.kr

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