South Gyeongsang Province recorded its highest-ever first-half exports of agricultural, fishery and food products this year, putting the province on track to meet its annual target.
The province announced Thursday that agri-food exports reached $852 million (1.28 trillion won) through the end of June, covering 53.6% of the full-year target of $1.59 billion.
By category, agricultural products led the way at $644 million, accounting for 75.7% of total exports. Fishery products contributed $156 million (18.3%), livestock products $44 million (5.2%) and forestry products $6 million (0.8%).
By destination, China and Southeast Asia posted the strongest growth. Exports to China rose 16% year-on-year to $172.67 million, while shipments to Southeast Asia jumped 56% to $163.13 million. Provincial officials attributed the gains to the growing popularity of K-food and rising demand for fresh produce.
Japan and the United States, however, saw declines. Exports to Japan fell 21% to $154.76 million, while those to the US dropped 15% to $139.12 million. The province cited the prolonged weakness of the yen and tightening protectionism in the US as the main factors.
Among individual products, fresh produce exports grew 7.1% from a year earlier, showing signs of recovery. Strawberry exports rose 12.6% and tomatoes 43%. Rice exports surged 79.6%, driven by domestic supply management and new overseas market development, while onion exports soared 709%.
Processed food exports, including ramyun and beverages, climbed 12.9%, buoyed by expansion into European markets. Ramyun exports rose 63% and beverage exports 16.7%.
In the second half, South Gyeongsang Province plans to sustain export momentum by subsidizing indirect logistics costs for fresh produce and developing a smart export complex. The province will focus particularly on securing a foothold in China's premium market, timed to coincide with the first-ever export of domestically grown sweet persimmons to China.
"Despite the weak yen and US tariff barriers, diversifying our export markets toward Southeast Asia and Europe has paid off," said Ryu Hae-seok, the province's director general of agricultural policy. "We will use the entry of sweet persimmons into the Chinese market as a springboard to achieve an all-time record."
ook967@heraldcorp.com
