Short Shelf Life Leads to Earlier Shipment Than Jeju Island
Lotte Mart and Lotte Super announced on the 27th that they will sell citrus fruits from inland mountainous regions outside the main production area of Jeju Island.
This year, Jeju Island experienced abnormal weather with record-high average temperatures and heatwave days from July to September. As a result, the fruit set and damage to Jeju-grown citrus and mandarins increased, causing a significant decrease in shipment volume. In response, the distribution industry is focusing on securing alternative production areas as fruit cultivation regions are shifting northward due to recent climate changes and abnormal high temperatures.
In response to these climate changes, Lotte Mart and Lotte Super will sell ‘Chungju Red Tanggeumhyang (1.5kg, box)’ grown in the inland Chungbuk region on the 28th for 16,990 KRW. This year, through an active policy of diversifying production areas, they have expanded the volume operated in advance with the Chungju region by more than 60% compared to the previous year, securing a total of about 50 tons.
‘Tanggeumhyang’ is an alternative crop developed in Chungju, Chungbuk to respond to ongoing climate changes such as global warming. It is the first citrus variety successfully cultivated in the central inland region outside Jeju Island. It is also a type of Gampeong (Redhyang), a hybrid between Hallabong and Cheonhyehyang, characterized by rich juice and aroma and a crisper texture than regular tangerines.
Tanggeumhyang is cultivated using the ‘water film (水膜)’ cultivation method, which maintains temperatures suitable for citrus growth even in the colder inland climate compared to Jeju production areas, boasting a high sugar content of over 12 Brix. This cultivation method utilizes the geographical characteristics of the water-rich Chungju region by constructing a double-layered vinyl greenhouse, flowing underground bedrock water inside the inner house, and wrapping it with a water film to maintain above-freezing temperatures even in midwinter.
Due to the characteristics of inland cultivation, Tanggeumhyang has a shorter supply and distribution process compared to Jeju region produce, allowing shipments about a month earlier. Therefore, consumers are expected to show great interest as they can taste it first in November before the main Jeju production season begins.
Earlier, as the northward shift of fruit production areas accelerated, Lotte Mart and Lotte Super officially launched ‘Yanggu Punchbowl Apples’ in January this year. Apples grow best with optimal sweetness and texture when cultivated in environments with large temperature differences between day and night and cool conditions. Due to abnormal high temperatures, the cultivation area is gradually shifting northward from the traditional production area in Gyeongsang Province to inland mountainous and Gangwon Province regions. In response, Lotte Mart and Lotte Super quickly started test operations of ‘Yanggu Punchbowl Apples’ from the high-altitude basin of Yanggu County and rapidly sold out about 200 tons of officially launched volume this year.
Lee Seunghan, MD (Merchandiser) of the Fruit Team at Lotte Mart and Lotte Super, said, “We are actively responding to climate change by diversifying production areas in response to the northward shift of fruit cultivation across the Korean Peninsula, expanding the operation of inland citrus Tanggeumhyang from Chungju. We will continue to discover products from various production areas that can replace existing volumes and strive to offer fresh, high-quality fruits even under abnormal climate conditions.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
