Korean strawberries are on the verge of an era of "1 billion won in annual overseas exports." Last year, strawberries exported overseas totaled about 99.3 billion won. They rank No. 1 among all agricultural products exported by Korea.
Southeast Asia accounts for 90% of export volume and is driving the K-strawberry boom. In Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia, it is no exaggeration to say that Korean strawberries have redefined what a strawberry is. Strawberries, once a "sour and hard fruit," have become a "sweet and soft but chewy fruit," appearing on the tables of Southeast Asian consumers.
◇ Seolhyang, Maehyang and Geumsil developed by domestic researchers... the seed of the K-strawberry boom
The countries that export the most strawberries worldwide are Mexico, Spain and the United States. But Southeast Asian countries in particular are enthusiastic about Korean strawberries. The distinctive sweetness of Korean strawberries is one reason for their popularity, but it is also because their quality is consistently maintained. Ha Yu-jeong, Director at aT Agricultural Product Export Department, said, "Strawberries do not grow well in Southeast Asia." She added, "In the United States and Australia, strawberries are grown in open fields, so quality is not consistent," and said, "The quality and sugar content of Korean strawberries are unrivaled."
In the early 2000s, 90% of strawberries cultivated domestically were the Japanese variety Janghee (Akihime). When Japan moved to demand royalties, domestic researchers began developing local varieties. The first result was "Seolhyang," created in 2005 by the Nonsan Strawberry Experiment Station of the Chungnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services (now the Strawberry Research Institute). Seolhyang is regarded as growing well even in winter compared with Japanese varieties, being easy to cultivate, and bearing large fruit. After Seolhyang, domestic researchers continued to develop new varieties such as "Maehyang," "Geumsil" and "Kingsberry."
To further expand strawberry exports, some say the concentration on certain export varieties needs to be addressed. A large share of exported strawberries are currently the "Geumsil" variety. This is because Geumsil is widely grown in South Gyeongsang Province, where many strawberry export farms are located. If exports center on one or two varieties produced in a specific region, overall exports can be hit when some farms suffer poor harvests due to adverse weather or pest damage.
In fact, due to abnormal weather in South Gyeongsang Province last year, strawberry export volume fell 2.6% from the previous year. Kim Hyun-suk, Head of Team at the Strawberry Research Institute, said, "It is difficult for a new variety to increase its market share by even 1%," and noted, "Support for research personnel is needed, and after variety development, cultivation technology support must also be provided."