Strawberries Awarded 8 Consecutive Years & Dried Persimmons 8 Times
Proving the Prestige of Premium Sancheong Strawberries and Dried Persimmons
Jirisan's premium Sancheong strawberries and Sancheong dried persimmons have proven their status as the nation's top quality by winning the Korea Representative Brand Awards.
According to Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province, at the ‘2024 Korea Representative Brand Awards’ ceremony held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on the 17th, Sancheong strawberries and Sancheong dried persimmons each received the Local Government Regional Specialty Product Grand Prize.
With this, Sancheong strawberries have been selected for 8 consecutive years (9 times in total since 2008), and Sancheong dried persimmons have been chosen 8 times since 2016, continuing their nationwide top reputation. Sancheong strawberries, which have been selected as the representative brand for 8 consecutive years including this year, are a cash crop generating an annual income of 130 billion KRW from about 800 farms.
Group photo of Jirisan Sancheong Strawberry and Dried Persimmon, Korea's Representative Brand Award.
Sancheong-gun has ideal conditions for cultivating low-temperature crops like strawberries, thanks to the alluvial soil formed by the three major rivers?Gyeongho River, Deokcheon River, and Yangcheon River?and the valley breeze blowing from Jirisan Mountain, creating a cool summer and warm winter climate.
Sancheong strawberries, produced from November, take 1 to 2 days longer to ripen compared to other regions, resulting in higher sugar content and firmer flesh, which provides excellent storability and long-lasting freshness, earning high praise from consumers.
Additionally, the county promotes high-quality strawberry production through modernization of cultivation facilities and dissemination of new technologies, as well as hosting strawberry promotional events to further increase consumer awareness.
Sancheong dried persimmons, honored with 8 awards to date, have been produced from the Sancheonggo jongsil variety, selected as Korea’s representative fruit for 8 consecutive years from 2016 to last year at the ‘Korea Representative Fruit Selection Contest’.
Notably, Sancheong dried persimmons were the first in the nation to complete geographical indication registration in the dried persimmon sector (June 9, 2006, Korea Forest Service No. 3), and through support for modernization of production facilities, they produce dried persimmons that consumers can trust and safely enjoy. Currently, about 1,300 farms produce approximately 2,700 tons annually, generating an income of around 40 billion KRW.
Sancheong dried persimmons boast high sugar content and a chewy texture due to the clear air and clean water at the foot of Jirisan Mountain. Thanks to processing technology utilizing natural conditions, their vitamin C content is 2 to 20 times higher than that of other major production areas, making them a top winter snack.
Moreover, the Jirisan Sancheong Dried Persimmon Producers Association holds the annual ‘Jirisan Sancheong Dried Persimmon Festival’ to widely promote the excellent quality of Sancheong dried persimmons to consumers, enhancing brand recognition.
The Jirisan Sancheong Dried Persimmon Festival, which has won the Korea Festival Contents Award for 8 consecutive years in the festival economy category, plans programs that allow diverse consumer participation, raising the external awareness of Sancheong dried persimmons among tourists visiting the festival from across the country.
County Governor Lee Seunghwa said, “The selection of Sancheong strawberries and Sancheong dried persimmons as the nation’s top brands is the result of the passion and efforts of farmers who have worked hard to produce excellent quality agricultural products. We will continue to do our best to enhance the image as leaders in Korea’s strawberry and dried persimmon industries and maintain our reputation with the best taste and quality nationwide.”
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