Korean strawberries are on the verge of an era of "1 trillion won in annual overseas exports." Last year, strawberries exported overseas totaled about 99.3 billion won. They rank No. 1 among all agricultural products Korea exports.
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 Korean strawberries have redefined what a strawberry is. Once a "sour and firm fruit," strawberries have become a "sweet and soft fruit with a chewy bite," arriving on the tables of Southeast Asian consumers.
◇ Seolhyang, Maehyang and Geumsil developed by domestic researchers... the seeds of the K-strawberry boom
Mexico, Spain and the United States are the countries that export the most strawberries worldwide. But Southeast Asian countries are particularly enthusiastic about Korean strawberries. The distinct sweetness of Korean strawberries is one reason for their popularity, but it is also because their quality is consistently maintained. Ha Yu-jung, Director in the agricultural exports department at aT, said, "Strawberries do not grow well in Southeast Asia." Ha also said, "In the United States and Australia, strawberries are produced in open fields, so quality is inconsistent," adding, "The quality and sugar content of Korean strawberries are unrivaled."
In the early 2000s, 90% of domestically cultivated strawberries were the Japanese variety Janghee (Akihime). After Japan began demanding royalties, domestic researchers started developing homegrown varieties. The first result was "Seolhyang," created in 2005 by the Nonsan Strawberry Experiment Station of the South Chungcheong Agricultural Research and Extension Services (now the Strawberry Research Institute). Seolhyang is considered to grow well even in winter, be easy to cultivate, and produce large fruit compared with Japanese varieties. After Seolhyang, domestic researchers continued to develop new varieties such as "Maehyang," "Geumsil" and "Kingsberry."
To expand strawberry exports further, some say the concentration in a few export items must be addressed. A large share of strawberries currently exported are the "Geumsil" variety. That is because many strawberry farms in South Gyeongsang Province grow Geumsil. 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 bad weather or pests and diseases.
In fact, due to abnormal weather in the South Gyeongsang region 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 even by 1%," and added, "Support for research personnel is necessary, and after variety development, cultivation technology support must also be provided."
☞ Joint project: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs · Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) · ChosunBiz