The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on the 5th that exports related to "agri-food" and "agri-industry," including agricultural machinery and materials, have surpassed $7 billion (about 10.787 trillion won).
According to the ministry that day, as of the first half of this year, agri-food and agricultural machinery and materials exports totaled $7.05 billion. That is up 4.1% from a year earlier, a record high.
Of that, exports in the agri-food sector were $5.38 billion, up 5% from a year earlier. By region, the Middle East had the highest growth rate at 25.2%. Latin America (19.5%), Europe (17.9%), North America (11%), and the Chinese-speaking region (5.9%) followed. In particular, exports to the United States ($1.04 billion) rose 11.3% from last year as exports of ramen, snacks, and kimchi increased.
By item, among processed foods, ramen ($940 million) increased 27.9%. Last year, ramen exports surpassed $1 billion in early September, but at the current pace, this year's $1 billion mark is expected in August. Snacks ($400 million) rose 7.2%, beverages ($350 million) 3.1%, and rice-processed foods ($150 million) 7.9%. Among fresh foods, strawberries ($61 million) increased 15.9%. Grapes ($18 million) rose 27.5%, and pears ($8 million) 62.3%.
In the first half of this year, agri-industry exports were $166,000. That was up 1.4% from the same period a year earlier. Exports of agricultural machinery ($706 million) rose 3.2%, and veterinary medicines ($197 million) increased 2%. As the pet market grows, pet food ($81 million) also rose 1%.
By contrast, due to instability in the Middle East, pesticide exports ($487.4 million) fell 4.1%. An official at the ministry said, "Taking into account the characteristics of each item, in the second half we plan to actively support export recovery through overseas licensing support, expanded local marketing, and intergovernmental cooperation."