"Peach harvest at its peak" Yeongdong County, starts peach hat auction

(Yeongdong=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Byeong-gi = The persimmon auction has commenced in Yeongdong, North Chungcheong, a major persimmon production area.

On the 16th, Yeongdong County announced that it will auction persimmons from two local fruit companies and two Hwanggan Agricultural Cooperative collection centers until the end of this month.

The auction only allows persimmons packed in 20 kg paper boxes.

Previously, persimmons were traded in large baskets (known as "conti"), but Yeongdong County has been encouraging transactions by weight for several years.

An official from Yeongdong County said, "To rectify the persimmon distribution order, only weight-based transactions are allowed at the auction site."

This year's persimmon harvest is reported to exceed average levels despite frequent rain.

With increased yields, the auction prices have dropped by more than 10% compared to last year, with top-grade persimmons (weighing over 200g) priced around 32,000 won and second-grade around 30,000 won.

This region, along with Sangju in Gyeongbuk and Sancheong in Gyeongnam, is one of the top persimmon production areas. It produces 7% of the national output and 70% of North Chungcheong's.

Around 3,200 farms produce about 6,000 tons of persimmons annually, which are used to make hongsi or dried persimmons.

bgipark@yna.co.kr