Nearly Double Increase Compared to 2019-2023
Plans to Expand New Aquaculture Farms by Over 15%
The price of Gim (seaweed) in Chungnam has reached an all-time high.
According to the province on the 30th, the current price of dried Gim in the province is about 7,600 won per bundle (100 sheets), which is approximately 76 won per sheet. This is nearly double the average price of 3,850 won per bundle from 2019 to 2023.
Overseas preference for Gim is increasing, but due to the reorganization of international supply chains caused by events such as the Russia war, the Gim harvest in neighboring countries has been poor, leading to increased demand for export Gim from the province and inevitably higher local prices.
As of April, the production volume of raw Gim in the province was 8.073 million bundles, up 2.54% from the previous year, and the production value was 23.19 billion won, an increase of 104.6%. Last year, out of the province's total seafood product exports of 202.19 million USD, Gim exports amounted to 184.13 million USD, a 21.5% increase compared to the previous year.
To stabilize the supply and demand of Gim, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced a plan to develop new Gim farms covering 2,700 hectares, and the province plans to expand new farms by more than 15%.
The current scale of Gim farms in the province is 3,820 hectares, and with the development of new farms, production is expected to increase by more than 2.96 million bundles next year.
A provincial official said, "It is unusual for Gim prices to rise this high," and added, "We plan to support 2.16 billion won this year to expand the production of healthy, high-quality raw materials."
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