With their vibrant color and wonderful taste, Korean strawberries are loved by people around the world.

Korea-grown strawberries are mostly consumed in Asia, but people in North America, including Canada, will soon be able to enjoy the fruit, too. Beginning in November, it will be possible to export Korean strawberries to Canada, announced the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, on June 2. Farmers who wish to export their strawberries to Canadian markets will need to figure out the occurrence of diseases and pests in their fruit and will need to prevent them by using necessary measures.



Korean strawberries are soft and sweet, and are especially popular in places like Thailand, Guam, Russia and Japan. In particular, couples exchange nicely packaged Korean strawberries as gifts on Valentine's Day. According to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, a total of 417 tons of strawberries were exported to 17 markets around the world last year. Strawberries are Korea's eighth biggest export item among fresh farm products.

The Korean government is currently in negotiations with New Zealand, Vietnam, China, the Philippines and Australia on quarantine issues, and Korean strawberries are expected to be available in more countries soon.


By Limb Jae-un
Photo: Jeon Han, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Korea.net Staff Writers
jun2@korea.kr