World Captivated by the “Taste of Gyeonggi”
(Published July 12, 2012) 

Agreements for USD 12 million in exports with 11 companies in 9 countries

◇ Companies in Gyeonggi Province inked agreements to export agricultural products worth USD 12 million with buyers from nine countries at a recent export conference. ⓒ G-News Plus

The delicious kimchi, noodles, makgeolli, rice cakes, and other agricultural products produced in Gyeonggi Province are big hits with consumers all over the world.

Gyeonggi Province officials announced that agricultural product buyers from nine countries signed export contracts worth a combined total of USD 12 million on July 13.

The contracts are the result of an export conference held from July 11 to 13. Buyers from eleven firms in nine countries including Hong Kong, the US, Australia, Vietnam, and Myanmar were invited to the conference by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi office of the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT).

During the conference, a number of companies signed contracts to import products. T-Brothers Food from Canada arranged to import dried seaweed, kimchi, and noodles from R&G; Citimart in Myanmar opted for mushrooms, makgeolli, and teas from Hosan Produce; and Minhan Distribution in Vietnam opted for ginseng and rice cakes from Sanggyeongbina.

“We were looking for some high-quality Korean producers of ginseng,” Vietnam buyers about to sign a contract said. “By taking part in this invitational event in Gyeonggi Province, we were able to see for ourselves the automated modern facilities and the site of production at the Gimpo and Paju Ginseng Agricultural Cooperative. We believe we can trust the excellence and safety of this ginseng.”

During their stay in Korea, the buyers were able to get a first-hand look at the production and distribution systems through visits to the production facilities of provincial agricultural manufacturers including the Cheongarang Agricultural Association (oyster mushrooms), Cheonggyewon (fresh eggs), and the Agri-Fishery Distribution Center. Afterwards, they stopped by a center for foods certified with the Gyeonggi Province Governor’s “G Mark” and the ingredients section, and gave positive reviews about the quality of the province’s produce.

The export conference for overseas buyers has been held annually since 2005. Each year in June or July, overseas buyers invited to the conference are introduced to exporters and shown some of the best production facilities in the province. Contracts are drafted and signed during the conference.

So far, the event has resulted in 72 buyers from 51 countries purchasing USD 59 million (KRW 67.5 billion) in Gyeonggi Province agricultural products. Last year, USD 11 million in export contracts were signed.

“These contracts show us once again the potential for Gyeonggi foodstuffs to enter the global market,” Agricultural Administration Bureau Director General Lee Jin-chan remarked at the contract signing ceremony. “In the future, we will work on building and strengthening the export infrastructure as this will allow us to join the ranks of advanced companies that export agricultural products and on further reinforcing the agricultural product industry, which draws upon the new Korean Wave culture.”

ⓒ G-News Plus News | Chun Gyeong-nam chun0403@kg21.net

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