Chungnam Breaks Record for Highest Agricultural and Food Exports Last Year

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The export value of agricultural and food products in the Chungnam region set a new record last year.

According to Chungnam Province on the 19th, the total export value of the agricultural and food sector last year was $671.509 million, a 27% increase compared to the previous year ($528.907 million).

Chungnam's export growth rate is the highest nationwide, with the national average export value of the agricultural and food sector increasing by 13%, from $9.044 billion in 2020 to $10.232 billion last year. Chungnam's export growth rate exceeded the national average by 14 percentage points.

The export value of agricultural and food products in Chungnam has continuously grown, recording $372.56 million in 2017, $422.62 million in 2018, and $436.87 million in 2019, maintaining an increasing trend for four consecutive years until last year.

Key contributing items in the agricultural and food export sector include ginseng products and royal jelly. Chungnam's ginseng export value increased by 18.9%, from $102.958 million in 2020 to $122.38 million last year, while royal jelly exports surged by 154%, from $45.606 million to $115.999 million during the same period.

The remarkable increase in exports of these items is attributed to the surge in demand for health functional foods related to immunity enhancement amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

In Chungnam, export values of items such as gim (seaweed) ($22.121 million → $44.95 million, 103.2% increase) and other processed seafood products ($89.219 million → $111.628 million, 25.1% increase) also showed notable growth.

Other items recorded the following export increases: ▲lettuce $22,000 → $324,000 (1364.7% increase) ▲ginseng liquor $6,000 → $87,000 (1295.6% increase) ▲other alcoholic beverages $90,000 → $742,000 (726.9% increase) ▲pork $16,000 → $181,000 (998.3% increase) ▲other grain powders $14,000 → $144,000 (901.7% increase) ▲shiitake mushrooms $11,000 → $89,000 (700.9% increase).

On the other hand, pear exports decreased by 11.8%, from $31.362 million in 2020 to $27.648 million last year, due to a shortage of maritime containers, and strawberry exports declined by 0.4%, from $1.703 million to $1.695 million, due to reduced domestic production and increased air freight costs.

Lim Seung-beom, Director of the Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock Bureau of Chungnam Province, said, “It is meaningful that the export value of local agricultural and food products set a record high despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the province aims to achieve $700 million in agricultural and food exports by supporting export logistics costs, resolving non-tariff barriers for fresh agricultural products, and focusing on overseas marketing of agricultural and food products.”