Goldberry Variety Briefing Session Held
Firm Texture and High Sugar Content Highlighted
At the new variety strawberry 'Goldberry' briefing session developed and distributed by Hongseong County, Lee Yongrok, Hongseong County Governor, and Kim Deokbae, Chairman of the County Council
Hongseong County in Chungnam has unveiled its newly developed strawberry variety, "Goldberry," and has begun efforts to target the premium K-strawberry market.
On the afternoon of the 25th, the county held a "Premium New Strawberry Variety Goldberry Briefing Session" at the Hettero Strawberry Farm in Galsan-myeon, where Goldberry was first successfully cultivated. Over 100 people attended, including County Mayor Lee Yongrok, relevant agency officials, export companies, and strawberry farmers.
Goldberry is highly rated for its high average sugar content of 12.5 brix, which is higher than other varieties, as well as its firmness and excellent sugar-acid balance, resulting in an outstanding texture.
Additionally, it has very few malformed fruits and stable pollination, resulting in a high proportion of marketable fruit. Depending on the ripening period, it features a rich flavor and juice reminiscent of apple or mango.
Local strawberry farmers who tasted the first batch of Goldberry strawberries produced on this day also evaluated them as firmer and sweeter compared to other commonly distributed strawberry varieties.
In particular, Goldberry is known for its simultaneous firmness and high sugar content, with a shelf life more than twice as long as conventional varieties. This has attracted significant interest not only from major export companies in Southeast Asia but also from exporters in North America and smart farm specialists.
The county hopes that by cultivating Goldberry exclusively in Hongseong, it will become the only premium strawberry in Korea and serve as a key driver for advancing local agriculture as a regionally specialized crop.
Lee Yongrok, Mayor of Hongseong County, stated, "We plan to aggressively expand the distribution of the Goldberry variety within the county to increase its share for export," adding, "We will do our utmost to expand and promote Hongseong’s unique strawberry variety as a regional specialty crop and help it grow into a representative K-strawberry brand."
Meanwhile, Hongseong County is preparing a master plan to establish export cultivation complexes for premium new strawberry varieties and plans to expand the foundation for export by demonstrating AI robot smart farm technology and advancing cultivation automation.
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