"Local Festivals Canceled Due to COVID-19" ... Lotte Mart Promotes Sales of Jeoneo and Flower Crabs

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] In the season of Jeoneo (gizzard shad), which is said to "even bring back daughters-in-law who have left home," Lotte Mart is directly shipping and selling 20 tons of Jeoneo from the production area. This is to help fishermen who lost their sales channels due to the cancellation of local festivals caused by COVID-19.

Lotte Mart announced on the 27th that it will secure and sell 20 tons of Jeoneo caught in the Chungnam area starting from the 1st of next month.

Jeoneo becomes plump and rich in savory flavor as it feeds after spawning in late July. Since the fine bones become tougher from November, September is the best season for taste.

On the west coast, including major Jeoneo production areas such as Seocheon and Boryeong, annual autumn Jeoneo festivals have been held, but this year, due to strengthened social distancing measures caused by COVID-19, local events have been canceled one after another, deepening the worries of fishermen. Jeoneo has a quick temper and dies soon after being caught, so its distribution period is short, and missing the sales period increases losses for fishermen. Industry insiders explain that this year, the savory taste of Jeoneo has developed faster than last year, making the product good but lacking sales channels.

Accordingly, Lotte Mart, together with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, is holding the "Korea Fisheries Grand Sale" and has prepared the "New Jeoneo" event about half a month earlier than last year to revitalize domestic consumption. The price is 12,250 KRW for 200g of Jeoneo.

Also, 100 tons of "autumn new flower crabs" caught on the west coast are prepared and sold at 1,550 KRW per 100g. Lotte Mart has signed advance contracts with fishing vessels using fixed nets located in Gyeokpo and Sinjindo, the largest production areas, to ensure a stable supply of flower crabs. The caught crabs are stunned in cold water below 5 degrees Celsius and then covered with sawdust to maintain freshness as much as possible during distribution.

Park Seok-ho, Fisheries MD at Lotte Mart, said, "Due to the impact of COVID-19, local festivals have been canceled and domestic consumption has sharply declined, causing fishermen to suffer double hardships. We hope this event will be an opportunity for consumers to enjoy seasonal food and help fishermen."

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