Producers, Distributors, and Administrative Agencies Pledge Active Cooperation to Revitalize Hongmaesil Sales

Gangseo Market Wholesalers, Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation, Namgo Maesil Farming Group, and Gwangyang City Sign MOU

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation (President Kim Kyungho) signed a business agreement on the 27th of last month with the Korea Market Wholesalers Association (President Im Seongchan) and the Namgo Maesil Farming Association in Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do, to promote the sales of red maesil (Hongmaesil).

The signing ceremony held at the Gwangyang Agricultural Technology Center was attended by Lee Taewok, Director of Gwangyang Agricultural Technology Center; Kwon Jongik, President of Namgo Maesil Farming Association; Noh Gyeho, Head of the Gangseo Branch of the Corporation; Im Seongchan, President of the Korea Market Wholesalers Association; and representatives of three market wholesalers (Kim Deoksik of Fruitland, Kwon Changsun of Woojin Haeseong Cheonggwa, and Jeong Gwang-eun of Gonghang Gyeongjin Cheonggwa).

The Corporation has been actively facilitating communication between the Namgo Maesil Farming Association and market wholesalers for the past two years to secure fair prices and expand sales of red maesil, which had been neglected in the auction market due to competition with green maesil. As a result, practical cooperation measures were derived through this mutual business agreement.

Through this agreement, the Corporation and Gwangyang City will lead administrative support and communication activation; market wholesalers will take the lead in expanding sales through marketing strategies specialized for red maesil; and the farming association will strive to increase supply volume and manage quality to ensure stable sales through the three market wholesalers.

Kang Seongil, Head of the Distribution Facilities Team at Jeollanam-do Provincial Office, also attended the event and received requests for support measures at the provincial level for red maesil grown in various cities and counties of Jeollanam-do, including branding and packaging cost support, which will be actively reviewed.

The Namgo Maesil Farming Association has improved the selection standards by unifying the size of maesil, which varied by farm and was previously expressed as ‘Wangwang’ or ‘Wangteuk,’ into millimeters (mm), and plans to further establish this standard going forward.

Kwon Jongik, President of Namgo Maesil, who has devoted himself to cultivating and expanding sales of red maesil for the past 20 years, expressed his feelings, saying, “Red maesil, which had been neglected in auction markets such as Garak Market as overripe fruit, has seen expanded sales and improved buyer perception thanks to the cooperation of the Gangseo Branch and market wholesalers. I am deeply moved that the grievances of the past have been resolved.”

Noh Gyeho, Head of the Gangseo Branch, stated, “I hope that Jeollanam-do Provincial Office will coordinate with production areas in the region to implement practical support measures for producers to expand sales of red maesil, which is a major product of Jeollanam-do. The Corporation will also actively work with market wholesalers, who have the advantage of direct communication with retail stores such as small marts, to promote sales by posting advance notices in marts before the red maesil shipment begins, so that more consumers seeking red maesil can be reached.”

As in the case of red maesil, market wholesalers, who can negotiate directly with production areas in advance, are expected to contribute to revitalizing the distribution of agricultural products that have been marginalized in auction markets by coordinating the difficulties of production areas and consumer demands and reflecting them in the sales process.

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