Naju Pears Exported to the U.S.... 140 Tons of Wonhwang Loaded

Published 16 Aug.2023 14:44(KST)

The first harvest of Wonhwang pears from Naju this year has been shipped to the United States.

Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Yoon Byung-tae) announced on the 16th that on the 14th, a loading ceremony for the export of Wonhwang pears to the U.S. was held at the Naju Pear Distribution Center export dock located in Budeok-dong in cooperation with the Naju Pear Horticultural Cooperative.

Wonhwang is the earliest harvested variety in Naju, the largest production area nationwide, characterized by its tender flesh, abundant juice, and sweet flavor.

On the 14th, a loading ceremony for exporting Wonhwang pears to the United States was held at the export dock of the Naju Pear Distribution Center.
[Photo by Naju City]

This year’s export volume to the U.S. doubled from 70 tons last year to 140 tons, achieving sales worth approximately 550 million KRW.

The Naju Pear Cooperative is making every effort to manage quality with a goal to exceed last year’s export volume of 2,838 tons (8.9 million USD) and reach up to 3,500 tons (12 million USD) this year.

Starting with the first shipment of Wonhwang pears, exports of domestically developed varieties such as Hwanggeum and Hwasan pears in August, and Sinhwa and Changjo pears in September are expected to proceed consecutively.

The loading ceremony was attended by Mayor Yoon Byung-tae, Naju-Hwasun National Assembly member Shin Jeong-hoon, City Council Chairman Lee Sang-man, Kim Chun-jin from Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), Lee Ki-bok, Deputy Head of Nonghyup Jeonnam Region, and Lee Dong-hee, Chairman of the Naju Pear Cooperative.

The city supports farmers with initiatives such as the ‘Naju Pear Brand Export Packaging’ (170 million KRW) and ‘Agricultural Export Logistics Costs’ (1 billion KRW) to promote pear exports.

Additionally, with an investment of 300 million KRW this year, the city is fostering a specialized export complex for Naju pears, supporting pest prevention through trap devices (10 million KRW), and promoting overseas marketing events (60 million KRW), all aimed at producing high-quality export pears and securing export channels.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “Although there were difficulties securing volume due to low-temperature damage this spring, I thank the farmers and distribution center staff for their efforts in timely harvesting and high-quality sorting. We will continue to provide various export support measures to help Naju pears secure competitiveness in both domestic and international markets, which have been weakened by rising prices.”