Since 2002, king oyster mushrooms from Gimcheon have become a popular item in the Korean agricultural and fishery wholesale market and at supermarkets.

Gimcheon has grown into a city known for producing king oyster mushrooms. As a result, Gimcheon was selected as the top agricultural and livestock export agency among cities in Gyeongsangbuk-do last year in 2022. They exported king oyster mushrooms, strawberries and peaches to 17 countries worth 17.5 billion won.

Chan-Hyuk Kwon, the CEO of Cheon Hye Nongsan (Agriculture), was born in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk in 1983. He visited Australia in 2006 through the Working Holiday program. During that time, he periodically sent money back to Korea and prepared a farm in his hometown, Gimcheon. He transferred around 200 million won. His father had already started a king oyster mushroom farm in Gimcheon in 2007. The end of his precious youth‘s 12-year life in Australia became the decisive factor for him to return home.

The production scale of the farm is 13 king oyster mushroom cultivation facilities, producing about 1 ton per facility. The shipment amount is 5 tons per week.

On average, they exported 4 to 5 billion won a year. Now, due to causes such as the coronavirus, exports have declined significantly. In the case of representative Kwon, he exported 4 billion won to the Netherlands last year. Up until last year, the export volume to the UK was about 2 to 3 billion won a year, with a total volume of 6 billion won.

Cheon Hye Nongsan has received global GAP certification and Tesco Nurture certification. Additionally, they have sent mushroom samples to the official testing and certification institution, OATC, to test for the presence of listeria bacteria. Cheon Hye Nongsan has established a smart farm system that automatically controls the farming facilities, maintaining a consistent temperature and humidity to prevent disease and providing optimal farming conditions with a temperature of 13﹎, humidity of 85-90%, and carbon dioxide concentration of 1000-1100ppm.

Most exports are done in bulk. The market is currently supplied under the name of local companies rather than the brand of Cheon Hye Nongsan. King oyster mushrooms are also grown in other countries. Ultimately, the distinctive factor is the excellent quality. The fate of the product is determined by factors such as a more unique shape, firmness, and long lasting qualities. In that sense, the competitiveness of Gimcheon king oyster mushroom production farmers, including Cheon Hye Nongsan, is higher than that of other countries.

CEO Kwon is soon preparing for a new start as an agricultural corporation. The company will have a consistent system and scale to perform mushroom cultivation, production, and exports. The export ratio is expected to increase to 70-80% of the production volume. The production cost will also be dramatically reduced. This is also a strategy for survival in the face of the declining number of farms and increasing domestic and international competition.

CEO Kwon says that raising mushrooms gives him a sense of peace and happiness. It is even more satisfying that the mushrooms he carefully raised are exported to various countries in Europe and Asia. Breaking away from the complicated environment of a foreign metropolis where he once lived makes his life even more relaxed. This is sure to be reflected in the increasingly refined and high-quality mushrooms that will be produced from his hands in the future.

Cheon Hye Nongsan (Agriculture)

CEO: Kwon Chan-hyuk

TEL: +82-10-3500-1177

EMAIL: duble2989@naver.com

ADDRESS: 62-87, Ui 1-gil, Apo-eup, Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea