Pears grown by the Korean Pears Cooperative Union are harvested at exactly the right time, without using
growing aids. No herbicides are used either. The principles remain the same even when typhoons hit
the farms and the season comes early. The method they use to grow healthy pears is the same as that
required to become Halal certified. The Korean Pears Cooperative Union's pears were halal-certified in
2017. They only supply pears with a Brix level of 13 or higher, and the pears undergo a rigorous selection
process in line with ISO 22000 quality management standards. This process ensures that only the highest
quality pears with high sugar content are selected for premium export. The unit price of these pears
is maintained at 150% of the domestic price. The cooperative aims to provide the highest quality
for the consumer and the highest selling price for the producer. They export their high-quality, sweet
pears to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Switzerland, Guatemala,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and
India, with direct trade to Hong Kong, Australia and Canada.

This year's production target is 400 tons on 2.9 hectares from 24 farms. Last year, the 24 farms
produced 400 tons on 2.9 hectares. In 2021 and 2020 they produced 350 tons on 2.9 hectares. This
year they are expected to export 400 tons, worth about USD1.5 million. Last year they exported 347 tons,
worth USD1.26 million, 290 tonnes worth USD1.12 million in 2021, and 292 tons worth USD910,000 in 2020. In the
past, up to 20-40% of pears were rejected during the selection process and a significant amount of
pears that had been carefully grown throughout the year were buried in the pear fields, known as
"pear graves". The pears rejected during the sorting process were then processed into pear extract, pear
syrup, and preserved pear and bellflower root. By doing so, the cooperative farmers were able to sell
all the pears they produced. In October this year, they plan to export pear products worth around
USD100,000 to the United States, Canada and Australia, as well as to the Middle East.

In 2012, six neighboring pear farmers in Munsanmyeon, Jinju City, South Gyeongsang Province, joined
forces. They invested 2 billion won in cash to establish what is now the Korean Pears Cooperative Union. A
sorting center and a cold storage warehouse were built. They opted for direct export to save on export
fees, and the head of the cooperative union did not receive a salary. All members work on a voluntary
basis, contributing to the cooperative and receiving an income based on their harvests. The head of the
cooperative traveled to exhibitions in Hong Kong and Singapore at the end of April, and went straight
back to his field on May 1 to check his orchard. There are 24 pear growers in the union. At first they started
exporting on their own, without any facilities or equipment, in front of a small container box. There
was no paper to label the boxes, so they wrote and attached the labels themselves. Through their sweat
and hard work, they were able to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They
believed that the only way to survive in the export market was through the quality of their products, and
so far they have succeeded.

The union's principle is direct export, and they also work with domestic trade specialists. They work
with companies that specialize in domestic trade. They mostly rely on direct contact with buyers to
conclude contracts, and they participate in overseas exhibitions to promote their products. The union
participated in the first exhibition of the year at the 2023 GULFOOD, exhibiting at the aT booth. At the Q1-
Q2 BKF Export Consultation Meeting held at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, they signed an MOU
worth USD700,000 with a company from Singapore and USD900,000 with three companies from Dubai. ESMA
HALAL and KMF HALAL certifications made these results possible. The cooperative's pears are supplied
annually to the Korean Day event at the UAE Embassy, and they also export directly to Korean supermarkets
in Dubai. The cooperative recently participated in exhibitions in Hong Kong and Singapore at the end of
April. In the second half of the year, the union will take part in a sales roadshow in Germany. There is also a
lot of interest in its products from various countries such as South Africa and the Dominican Republic.
Next destinations are the Middle East and Europe.