Large-Scale Cultivation Success of Purple Kale in Haenam

Rich in Antioxidant Anthocyanins, Winter Alternative Crop Expected

Jaseok Dream (CEO Han Guk-jin) in Hwangsan-myeon, Haenam-gun, is cultivating purple kale for the first time this year on about 2,300㎡ (approximately 700 pyeong) and is preparing for the first harvest. (Photo by Haenam-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 25th that Hwangsan-myeon Jasaek Dream (CEO Han Guk-jin) is cultivating purple kale for the first time this year on about 2,300㎡ (about 700 pyeong) and is about to make the first harvest.

Purple kale is kale that has a purple color compared to the generally green kale, characterized by being rich in various nutrients of kale as well as the antioxidant anthocyanin.

Kale has gained a reputation as a superfood rated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the best vegetable, and in North America, including the United States and Canada, the first Wednesday of October is designated as "Kale Day" to encourage its consumption. It is also one of the vegetables rapidly gaining popularity domestically along with the detox trend.

This is the first large-scale cultivation of purple kale in Korea, and it is expected to become a winter alternative crop in Haenam, where the mild climate prevents cold damage in winter.

At harvest, purple kale grows to about 50 cm in height and weighs around 3 kg. It has strong resistance to pests and cold, allowing it to endure outdoors until January next year.

The current cultivation volume is planned to be fully shipped through contract farming, and other purple-specialized agricultural products such as beets, purple carrots, and purple cabbage are also being cultivated to explore the possibility of color marketing.

Han Guk-jin, CEO of Jasaek Dream, said, "Although the planting period was somewhat delayed due to the long rainy season, we confirmed that this crop has a high possibility of success in Haenam," adding, "We plan to expand the cultivation of purple crops and develop them into specialized crops."