Strawberries $64.5 Million · Grapes $38.7 Million
Total $103.1 Million... First Achievement of $100 Million
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that last year’s export value of strawberries and grapes reached an all-time high. These two items are 'star products' that the government is specially fostering.
On the 13th, the Ministry revealed that last year, strawberry exports amounted to 64.5 million USD (approximately 76.7 billion KRW, a 20% increase from the previous year), and grape exports reached 38.7 million USD (approximately 46 billion KRW, a 24.1% increase). The total was 103.1 million USD (approximately 122.6 billion KRW, a 21.5% increase). This is the first time the annual export value of these two items exceeded 100 million USD.
The Ministry supports the entire process of production, storage, distribution, marketing, buyer discovery, and sales to expand exports of these two products. In particular, it is focusing on managing them to enhance their status as premium products in overseas markets.
For strawberries, active development of varieties has increased the domestic variety distribution rate to 96.4%. Varieties such as Maehyang, Geumsil, and Kingsberry have been cultivated for export and are recognized for their quality in overseas markets.
Considering market characteristics, in Singapore, new dessert menus were launched through famous chefs at luxury hotels. In Vietnam and Thailand, marketing was focused on premium stores by leveraging these countries’ high interest in Korea. To respond to the global logistics difficulties caused by COVID-19, Korean Air operated dedicated flights on the Singapore and Hong Kong routes during the main export period from December to April.
For grapes, producers voluntarily operated quality and safety standards for export products to improve quality. The government supported storage facilities and technology. Previously, exports ended in December, but the export period was extended to March of the following year.
The Ministry reported that Korean Shine Muscat grapes, which have quality competitiveness, are gaining popularity mainly in premium stores such as overseas luxury hotels and large department stores. For example, they are reportedly sold for about 120,000 KRW per bunch in high-end retail stores in China.
This year, the Ministry plans to identify and support areas lacking in the field, analyze market demand closely, and concretize differentiated export strategies by country.
Jeon Hanyeong, Food Industry Policy Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, emphasized, "Achieving 100 million USD in strawberry and grape exports amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation is a significant achievement resulting from efforts to expand exports, such as spreading excellent cultivation techniques centered on export farms. This year, we will continue to strengthen the capabilities of export farms and work to solidify the premium image of Korean agricultural products, aiming for a new level of growth in agricultural and food exports."
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