'God's Gift' Returns to Sangju Area... Over 3,600 Dried Persimmon Farmers Busy

Forest Service Variety Registration 'Dungsil' Peeling and Drying in Progress
Sangju Gotgam Designated as National Important Agricultural Heritage Last Year

A scene of drying persimmons at a traditional dried persimmon farm in Sangju.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Persimmon farmers in Sangju, Gyeongbuk have officially started the process of shipping Sangju traditional dried persimmons, which have been designated as National Important Agricultural Heritage No. 15.

According to Sangju City on the 28th, persimmon farmers in Sangju recently began peeling and drying the persimmons (astringent persimmons), which are the raw material for dried persimmons. Farmers dry them for about 40 days to produce half-dried persimmons, and about 60 days to produce fully dried persimmons (gotgam).

Sangju gotgam is known for its excellent taste and quality, as the raw persimmons called Dungsi are strictly selected for quality, then hygienically peeled and dried. The scientific name of persimmon is 'Dios (god) Pyros (gift) kaki (persimmon) Thunb,' meaning a gift from the gods. Persimmons and dried persimmons contain large amounts of health-functional substances such as vitamins and minerals that modern people must consume.

Sangju gotgam is differentiated from those of other regions starting from the raw persimmons. The raw persimmon for Sangju gotgam is Sangju Dungsi, a variety registered with the Korea Forest Service. To make dried persimmons, the persimmons must have appropriate moisture, suitable flesh density, a shape easy to peel, and calyxes suitable for hanging, all of which Sangju Dungsi possesses.

Although the production of astringent persimmons is expected to decrease compared to average years due to spring cold damage, long rainy seasons, and typhoons in summer, Sangju City expects the reputation of Sangju gotgam to continue thanks to farmers' efforts. Last year, Sangju produced 12,050 tons of dried persimmons from 3,681 farms.

On the 23rd, Mayor Kang Young-seok visited five production farms including Yongha Farm in Dongseong-dong and emphasized, "Our persimmon farmers are facing great difficulties due to COVID-19 and weather disasters. We will listen carefully to these difficulties and do our best to prepare countermeasures."

Meanwhile, Sangju traditional dried persimmon agriculture was designated as National Important Agricultural Heritage No. 15 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in November last year. National Important Agricultural Heritage refers to agricultural heritage designated by the state as having preservation value among tangible and intangible agricultural resources formed over a long time by farmers adapting to the environment, society, and customs of the region.