Goheung Premium 'Strawberries and Cucumbers' Sales UP Overcoming COVID-19 Impact

County Governor Song Guigeun... Focused Development of Region-Specialized Items

[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Amid the cold winds of the winter chill, the passion of farmers harvesting Goheung’s premium strawberries and cucumbers while dreaming of becoming strong small-scale farmers is overcoming the impact of COVID-19.

According to Goheung County on the 28th, although the number of strawberry farms is gradually decreasing due to aging farmers, rapid modernization through smart advanced facilities combined with improved farming techniques has resulted in annual sales reaching 2.2 billion KRW across about 30 farms.

Additionally, the cucumbers in this region are famous as the main production area of Baekdadagi, known for their high moisture content and sweetness. About 150 farms cultivate 52 hectares, generating annual sales of 14.8 billion KRW, making it the most profitable horticultural crop. This is a source of pride for farmers achieved through advanced farming methods such as obtaining GAP certification.

County Governor Song Guigeun visited farms busy harvesting strawberries and cucumbers on the 20th and 27th to encourage farmers and listen to their on-site difficulties.

At this occasion, Governor Song said, “Strawberries and cucumbers, representative winter fruits and vegetables, have established themselves as key income sources for our county. We will do our best to prepare various support measures reflecting the voices from the agricultural field, focusing on nurturing these as regional specialty products so that the dream of prosperous farming can be realized.”

Moreover, Goheung, compared to other regions, enjoys abundant sunlight and fertile soil, making it an optimal area for soil cultivation of strawberries and cucumbers from ancient times. The high-sugar-content strawberries and crisp cucumbers produced here have long captured consumers’ tastes and steadily maintained their reputation nationwide.

Meanwhile, Goheung County plans to accelerate the establishment of production infrastructure this year as well by investing a total project cost of over 2.6 billion KRW in 11 support projects in the horticultural facilities sector to modernize facilities and reduce production costs, enabling the dreams of strong small-scale farmers to rise even higher.