Wando-gun, First Sale of Geondasim Seaweed Today

Geumsil, the main kelp production area, holds a bumper kelp harvest prayer ceremony

First auction volume 14t, traded at an average of 9,500 KRW per kg

Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do held a dried kelp bumper harvest prayer ceremony and first auction on the 25th at the Geumil Fisheries Cooperative auction site in Geumil-eup, which accounts for 70% of the national kelp production.

According to the county on the 30th, fishermen producing kelp attended the dried kelp bumper harvest prayer ceremony and first auction, praying for stable sea conditions and the well-being of fishermen, and started the first auction of dried kelp.

A bountiful harvest prayer ceremony and the first auction ceremony for dried kelp were held today at the Fisheries Cooperative auction market.
[Photo by Wando-gun]

The first auction volume was about 14 tons, with an average auction price of 9,500 KRW per kilogram, and prices reached up to 12,500 KRW, starting at a higher price compared to previous years.

Kelp harvesting will continue until early July, and production, which started in early May, is expected to be higher than last year.

As the peak kelp harvesting season begins and fishermen are busy, the county has deployed a total of 825 foreign seasonal workers to fishing households this year to resolve labor shortage issues.

Wando-gun is the home of seaweed, producing 150,000 tons of kelp last year, accounting for 71% of the national production.

Kelp grown in clean waters has good taste and aroma and is rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamins, and dietary fiber. It also contains alginic acid, which helps absorb fine dust and heavy metals in the body and expel them.

Meanwhile, extracts from seaweeds such as abalone viscera, hijiki, green laver, kelp, and sea mustard have been reported to be effective in inhibiting the penetration of the COVID-19 virus, according to a study published in the world-renowned marine pharmaceutical journal, Marine Drugs.

Wando = Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Choi Kyung-pil ckp6737@asiae.co.kr