Lotte Mart said on the 1st that it will sell fresh sea pineapples from the South Sea coast at the lowest price of the year to mark the second week of its "Mega Tongkeun" promotion starting on the 2nd.
Lotte Mart is selling South Sea fresh sea pineapple (150g, refrigerated, domestic) for 4,990 won. The price was made possible by changes in aquaculture methods at the source and proactive volume procurement.
Sea pineapples are low-temperature organisms that grow best at 55–59 degrees Fahrenheit. With recent rises in sea surface temperatures, there were concerns about die-offs of the low-temperature species, but Lotte Mart's partner companies moved cultivation from the previous depth of 10 meters to 15 meters to maintain an appropriate temperature.
As the depth increased, growth slowed somewhat and shipments began about a month later than in previous years, but the company said mortality has decreased and overall supply is recovering quickly.
Lee Yang-gyu, merchandise planner (MD) of Lotte Mart and Lotte Super's seafood team, said, "Thanks to fishers at the source who worked hard to improve aquaculture methods after unprecedented high-temperature damage that caused 95% mortality last year, we are able to offer fresh sea pineapples again this year."