"Already?" First Shipment of 'Superfood' Blueberries of the Year in Gimhae

The first blueberries of the year were shipped from Mr. Kim Dong-gyu's farm in Saengdong-myeon, Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam. (Photo by Gimhae-si)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] ‘Superfood’ blueberries have been harvested for the first time in Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam.

The city announced on the 4th that the first blueberry harvest of the year began at a farm in Saengnim-myeon from the end of January.

Generally, blueberries are harvested starting in May, but in Gimhae, the timing was significantly advanced through heated cultivation using a facility greenhouse.

Because the timing is earlier, blueberries can be shipped at a higher price.

As of the 3rd, the wholesale price for premium quality was around 130,000 KRW per 1kg, which is about five times higher than the average price of 25,000 KRW in June during the usual harvest season.

The city plans to secure 160 million KRW in project funds this year to introduce hydroponic blueberry cultivation technology, distribute new model greenhouses, and adopt new technologies to improve productivity for high-quality and safe production.

A city official said, “Early cultivation not only increases income but also disperses the shipping period, extending the time consumers can access fresh blueberries, which leads to an overall increase in consumption. We will do our best to promote new technologies so that blueberries can establish themselves as a crop that increases farmers’ income.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.