#Popular Korean fruits found in Vietnam

In Vietnam, a series of interesting events were held to announce the excellence of Korean fruits, fascinating the local consumers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs(MAFRA) and Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation(aT) organized the ‘K FRESH LOVE FESTA’ at Hanoi Shopping Mall in Vietnam to expand ASEAN export market and target the fresh produce market of Vietnam, the base for New Southern region market.

At the event, Lee Byung-ho, the President of aT, Park Hang-seo, the Director of Vietnamese national football team, and Kim Dong-joon, the Hallyu star actor have joined together to promote the excellence and reliability of Korean fresh products. A range of events including a cooking demonstration of Korean fruit dessert and a quiz show on Korean agricultural products attracted visitors’ attention.

In particular, as the exports of fresh persimmon to Vietnam has resumed in five years after a discontinuation in 2015, a special promotion section was arranged. There was also a promotional store where you can directly purchase a range of fruits including strawberries, pears and red ginseng.

A Vietnamese consumer who visited the site said, “Because Korean fruits are recognized as premium products, I frequently purchase for gifts. Above all, Korean strawberries are favored here.”

To maintain the popularity of Korean fresh produce, the aT will continue to support numerous activities such as cold chain construction support, international food fairs held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in April and November, and Hanoi K-FOOD FAIR in the second half of the year.

Lee Byung-ho, the President of aT, commented, “This event has confirmed the overwhelming status of Korean fresh produce in Vietnam. We will try even harder to spread the popularity of Korean agricultural products to New Southern regions including Vietnam.”

#Korean Ginseng, reaches USD 200 million in exports for the first time

The exports of Korean ginseng exceeded USD 200 million for the first time in 2019. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs(MAFRA), and Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation(aT), ginseng exports recorded US$ 211.14 million in 2019, up 12.4% from the previous year. The exports to China increased 37 percent to USD 79.8 million, while Vietnam also increased about 40 percent to USD 21.43 million last year.

In 2019, MAFRA, and aT conducted overseas activities to achieve USD 200 million in ginseng exports, including promotions, fairs, consumer experiences, and buyer consultations. In addition to this, they provided omnidirectional support in Korea such as export commercialization and overseas certification registration. The export industry also strengthened joint marketing through the ginseng export council and developed products to meet the needs of consumers for each country, unfolding dynamic sales activity.

As a result, products such as red ginseng tablets, ready-made red ginseng products and ginseng beverages increased 22%, driving overall exports. The gradual increase in product exports is also positive for ginseng exports from now on. Previously, the exports of root ginseng such as red ginseng, fresh ginseng, and white ginseng have been handled more as pharmaceuticals than foods. However, the recent increase in the product consumption means that ginseng is consumed as a food in the export market, and the base is also widening its position.

#Pioneering New Northern region, seeking export power in Moscow

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs(MAFRA) participated in the ‘Prod Expo 2020’ in Moscow. Along with a total of 18 domestic exporters, the aT presented promising products such as fresh apples, pears and mushrooms, smoked ducks, makgeoli, ginseng, and health functional foods. The participating companies in Korean Pavilion engaged themselves in active sales activities, resulting in a total of 366 consultations and approximately USD 57 million worth in performance.

The aT also invited local famous influencers to promote new products displayed at Korean Pavilion through social network. Moreover, experts were invited to conduct on-site consulting for each item regarding Russia's difficult quarantine and customs clearance procedures.

#Perk up with Korean strawberries and grapes

The aT has provided shine muskat grapes and export quality strawberries produced in Korea to Vietnamese women's football team who played against Korea at the ‘2020 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament’ on 9 February in Jeju.

The strawberries and shine muskat delivered to Vietnamese women's football team are currently gaining popularity in Vietnam due to their outstanding taste and quality. As a proof, exports of strawberry to Vietnam reached US$ 7 million and grapes USD 6 million last year, which were 90% and 34% higher than 2018 respectively, contributing largely to the domestic farmers’ income increase.

In order to augment the export competitiveness of Korean fresh produce, officials of an export integration organization composed of producers and exporters of Kberry and Grape Export Union Co., Ltd., said, “For a continued love of Korean strawberries and grapes in Vietnam, we will strive harder for quality and safety management.”