Jeongeup City Succeeds in Cultivating Functional Fruit Tree 'Pawpaw'

Scheduled to Be Sold Online at 25,000 Won per Kilogram

Jeongeup City in North Jeolla Province has opened up new possibilities for temperate specialty fruit cultivation by successfully growing the functional fruit tree 'Pawpaw'.

According to the city on September 11, Pawpaw is a fruit tree native to eastern North America. It boasts strong cold resistance, enduring temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius, making eco-friendly open-field cultivation possible even in Korea's temperate regions such as Chungcheong, North Jeolla, and North Gyeongsang inland areas.

Jeongeup City has succeeded in cultivating the functional fruit tree 'Pawpaw'. Photo by Jeongeup City

Pawpaw fruits are harvested from September to October, offering a creamy texture and sweet flavor. Their exotic taste, reminiscent of a blend of mango, banana, and melon, piques consumer curiosity. Although often confused with the similarly named tropical fruit papaya, Pawpaw can be stably produced in Korea's climate without greenhouse cultivation, making it an attractive alternative crop in the era of climate change.

The Pawpaw farm in Jeongeup City currently has about 2,500 trees planted across a 16,500-square-meter area, with an annual harvest of over 5 tons expected.

The harvested fruit is scheduled to be sold online at 25,000 won per kilogram, promising consumers a unique freshness and flavor. In addition, one-year-old Pawpaw saplings are being sold at 20,000 won per tree, providing new income opportunities for farmers interested in cultivation.

Furthermore, Hyangji Co., Ltd. has collaborated with the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology to discover that compounds in Pawpaw leaves inhibit melanin formation. They have filed a patent for an anti-inflammatory and inflammatory disease treatment that can be used for skin whitening and treating pigmentation disorders. This demonstrates the potential to expand beyond simple fruit cultivation into a high value-added industry.

A city official stated, "Unlike subtropical fruit trees, Pawpaw is well-suited to Korea's climate and can be grown in an eco-friendly way. We will strengthen technical support so that Pawpaw can become a new high-income fruit for Jeongeup, following blueberries and Taechu sweet persimmons."

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