(Jeju=Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Ji-hye = Jeju, the main domestic carrot production area, is launching its own developed variety to break away from its reliance on foreign seeds.
The Jeju Agricultural Technology Institute announced on the 28th that its newly developed carrot variety, "Tamlahong," will be supplied to farms through seed companies starting next year.
Jeju accounts for about 70% of the total domestic carrot cultivation area, but most of the currently cultivated carrot varieties are foreign, with a seed dependency rate of 99% overseas.
Approximately 1.9 billion won in foreign currency is spent annually on seed imports, and there have been difficulties in securing seeds due to the concentration of demand on specific varieties.
To address these issues, the Agricultural Technology Institute developed the new Tamlahong variety in 2019, completed its variety protection registration, and signed a commercial implementation contract with a seed company in 2021.
This year, the seed company successfully produced Tamlahong seeds, and the first sales have begun, with the Agricultural Technology Institute explaining that stable supply of the new variety seeds will be possible from 2026.
Tamlahong is a late-maturing variety with a growth period of about 150 days, suitable for winter cultivation in Jeju. It has a deep carrot color, high sugar content, and excellent texture, receiving high praise from organic farming households.
The Agricultural Technology Institute has started field trials in collaboration with the Gujwa Carrot Export Association and Gujwa Agricultural Cooperative, and plans to comprehensively compare and evaluate the growth, quality, and yield of the existing variety and Tamlahong in January next year.
Agricultural researcher O Dong said, "We will strive to increase the domestic seed share by expanding seed distribution."