China's Dongbao Food, Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Authority discuss agricultural export cooperation
The Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Authority said Thursday it visited Jukam Farm in Goheung-gun alongside Li Hongwei, chairman of Dongbao Food — an Anhui Province-based Chinese food company — and his delegation to discuss joint production and export of Korean agricultural products.
During the visit, both sides explored the possibility of processing vegetables grown in South Korea and exporting them to Japan and other overseas markets through Dongbao Food's international distribution network.
Dongbao Food, founded in 2004, specializes in frozen prepared foods and has a strong track record in exports to Japan. In 2015, the company established BaoFood in the Gwangyang Bay area to handle agricultural food imports and exports.
The visit follows up on an investment promotion trip the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Authority made to Hefei, Anhui Province, China, in May.
During that trip, authority officials visited Dongbao Food to learn about food export trends between South Korea and Japan, and discussed processing Korean agricultural products for export under a K-brand.
Jukam Farm was created by reclaiming the Jukam and Namyang tidal flats in Goheung and spans roughly 1.49 million square meters of farmland. It is one of the region's leading agricultural corporations, with rice paddies, a Hanwoo cattle ranch and a rice-milling factory.
"As K-food gains popularity worldwide, South Korea's agricultural processing industry is drawing attention as a high-value-added sector," Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Authority chief Gu Chung-gon said. "We hope this becomes an opportunity for local agricultural companies and Chinese food firms to build genuine joint-venture partnerships and enter global markets together."
parkds@heraldcorp.com
