Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. Successfully Changes Strawberry Variety
Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 27th that it has started exporting by delivering 150kg of 100 boxes (1.5kg each) of Geumsil strawberries harvested at Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. to Joy Farm, an agricultural corporation in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam.
The strawberries exported this time are the ‘Geumsil’ variety produced by Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. (CEO Lee Seon-jae), developed by the Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services in 2016. This variety is characterized by high sugar content and firmness, making it specialized for export.
Previously, the export variety of strawberries from Gokseong-gun was ‘Seolhyang,’ but through this year’s export agricultural seedling support project, the variety was changed to ‘Geumsil’ for cultivation and export.
‘Geumsil’ is a hybrid variety created by crossing ‘Maehyang,’ which has excellent storability, and ‘Seolhyang,’ which has high sugar content and large fruit. It currently holds a 70% share of the export market.
This export is the result of efforts by Gokseong-gun and the participating farmers of Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. to stabilize the domestic market.
On July 26, Dr. Yoon Hye-sook of the Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, the developer of the Geumsil strawberry variety, conducted a ‘Geumsil Strawberry Cultivation Technology’ training session, providing an opportunity to resolve difficulties faced by farmers newly cultivating the Geumsil variety.
Currently, Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. has been designated as a specialized agricultural production complex by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in 2017 and is leading the export of strawberries and melons.
CEO Lee Seon-jae stated, “Starting with this year’s first export of Geumsil strawberries, we plan to export about 60 tons to major export countries such as Vietnam and Singapore by April next year.”
A representative from the Gokseong-gun Agricultural Technology Center said, “Starting with this year’s strawberry export, we will do our best to support farmers to enhance the export competitiveness of strawberry farms.”
Gokseong = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-seon hss79@asiae.co.kr
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