Yeongam-gun Promotes Purchase of Low-Quality Figs as 'Byunggwa'

Yeongam-gun will conduct market isolation and purchase of defective figs at Samho Nonghyup from the 8th to the end of this month. Photo by Yeongam-gun

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Yeongam County announced on the 2nd that Samho Nonghyup will conduct market isolation and purchase of defective figs with low marketability from the 8th until the end of this month.

The purchase of defective figs is a policy to isolate low-quality figs produced in August from the market and supply high-quality figs to consumers.

Yeongam County expects that the low-grade fig market isolation support project will enhance the reputation of the Yeongam fig brand, prevent illegal dumping of defective figs, and achieve a win-win effect such as preventing environmental pollution.

The figs isolated from the market are planned to be used as microbial raw materials at the Daebul Sewage Treatment Plant operated by the Yeongam County Waterworks Office. Eligible participants for market isolation are agricultural (legal) persons residing in Yeongam County who produce figs on farmland within the jurisdiction. Applications for the project can be made at the town or township offices of the farmers' residential addresses.

In addition, a quota system will be applied per farm to prevent concentrated support to some farms or the import of figs produced in other regions. The support price is 1,200 KRW per kilogram, and the total project volume is 208 tons.

A Yeongam County official said, “Through market isolation, we will prevent the act of discarding and abandoning defective figs in rivers and other places, thereby preemptively blocking environmental pollution issues,” and added, “We expect that high-quality figs will be distributed to consumers, contributing to improved quality and trust.”