COVID-19 Can't Stop It... Jinju-si's Agricultural Exports Reach $56.9 Million, an All-Time High

Fresh Agricultural Products $54.34 Million, 19% Increase from Previous Year

Strawberry packaging site.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, recorded an agricultural product export volume of 56.9 million dollars last year despite COVID-19, achieving the highest performance ever.

Fresh agricultural products achieved export sales of 54.34 million dollars. Processed agricultural products exported 2.56 million dollars, laying the foundation as the "Nation's No. 1 Fresh Agricultural Product Export City."

Export performance by fresh agricultural product items was recorded as follows: strawberries 44.52 million dollars, paprika 4.74 million dollars, king oyster mushrooms 2.79 million dollars, and pears 1.06 million dollars. Export performance by country was Hong Kong 16.17 million dollars, Singapore 10.82 million dollars, Thailand 6.71 million dollars, Japan 5.49 million dollars, and Vietnam 5.18 million dollars.

Since Jinju first exported bell peppers and Korean hot peppers to Japan in 1995, it achieved export performance of 45 million dollars in 2013. Showing growth every year, it reached the highest performance ever with 56.9 million dollars in 2021. In particular, the export performance of fresh agricultural products at 54.34 million dollars increased by 19% compared to the previous year.

To strengthen export competitiveness, Jinju City is modernizing production facilities in a 478-hectare specialized agricultural product export complex and operating a residual pesticide testing laboratory, supporting 12.2 billion won across 21 projects. It is also focusing on strengthening local marketing through overseas special sales exhibitions and online export consultation meetings, as well as pioneering new overseas markets.

A city official said, "We will secure competitiveness through enhanced safety and premium quality so that Jinju agricultural products can grow into a global brand."

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