Buying Local Agricultural Products Directly from 800 Neighborhood Supermarkets

May 24 and 31 'Direct Sales Event for Mountain Farm Products'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Park Young-sun, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) announced that on the 24th and 31st, it will hold a 'Direct Sales Event for Local Agricultural Products' involving 800 neighborhood supermarkets and 18 supermarket cooperatives to strengthen the product competitiveness of neighborhood supermarkets.

This event involves 18 supermarket cooperatives, including the Suwon Super Cooperative, out of 48 nationwide supermarket cooperatives. At 800 neighborhood supermarkets across the country with event posters displayed at their entrances, customers can purchase seasonal agricultural products at affordable prices.

A collaborative system has also been established to add agricultural products to the items in the neighborhood supermarket joint sales event, which had previously focused mainly on manufactured goods. Once the direct transaction system stabilizes, supermarket cooperatives will receive seasonal agricultural products at low prices from local producers such as regional agricultural cooperatives through linkage with the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. Subsequently, using small and medium distribution logistics centers, the agricultural products will be restructured into forms suitable for neighborhood supermarkets and supplied in a timely manner.

This event, with the cooperation of the Korea Supermarket Association, selected onions and cucumbers as the product groups due to high demand. The Ministry plans to strengthen policy support by subsidizing transportation costs and promoting the event to help the rising trend of neighborhood shopping after the COVID-19 pandemic spread to neighborhood supermarkets as well.

Kwon Dae-su, Director of the Small Business Policy Division at the Ministry, stated, "We will work with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, related organizations, and groups to establish a plan to regularly operate direct sales events for agricultural products to enhance the product competitiveness of neighborhood supermarkets."

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