US captivates ‘winter radish’ exports

“We are sending small winter radishes (800g to 1.2kg per radish) that are not preferred in the domestic market to overseas markets. We plan to expand exports of these winter radishes to help increase farm income.” This is what Kang Geum-ran, head of Seongsan Ilchulbong Agricultural Cooperative in Seogwipo, Jeju, who exports winter radishes, said. Since starting exports to the United States in 2007, Seongsan Ilchulbong Agricultural Cooperative has sold a total of 15,381 tons of winter radishes overseas as of the first half of this year. More than 90% of the exported volume went to the United States. “While looking for a ‘low-quality’ consumer that was not receiving a fair price domestically, we focused on the Korean market in the United States and started exporting,” explained Kang. “The local response was enthusiastic, so orders gradually increased, and now winter radishes have established themselves as a representative domestic export agricultural product.” Seongsan Ilchulbong ...