The first agricultural product of the Korean origin that successfully made into Carrefour. 

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office held a sales promotion event for Singo pears at a total of 298 outlets of Carrefour in France, Belgium and Spain from last January 20 through 27. 

In France and Spain, the pears of the Korean origin were appraised to be superior to their locally produced counterparts in taste and quality and thus sold at higher prices [2.5 ~ 2.85 euro (= KRW3,000 ~ 3,500) per kilogram] than locally produced ones. In Belgium, they were sold for about KRW1,500 per one weighing 400 gram, competing favorably with locally produced ones. 

At Carrefour outlets in Europe, Singo pears have been the agricultural product of the Korean origin. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office has made sales promotional efforts for Singo pears since 2001, using the network of Carrefour, the No.2 distributor in the world, as part of the attempt to increase the exports of agricultural products. 

Especially, the MOU for exports of Korean agricultural products signed last year by Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu and Carrefour Chairman Daniel Bernard served as a turning point for a drastic increase in exports of Singo pears. In 2005, the nation’s exports of Singo pears through the multinational business came to more than 400 tons. 

Carrefour operates a total of 926 hypermarkets in 29 European countries, including 218 in France. In Korea, it has a total of 31 outlets, including eight in Gyenoggi Province. 

Prior to the sales promotional events held this time, SOCOMO, Carrefour’s importing agent in Spain, promised that it would do its best to help Singo pears be recognized as a high-quality product among European consumers. 

The provincial office plans to make further efforts for diversification of markets for its specialty agricultural products, such as grated cactuses or ginseng as well as Singo pears, in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia through Carrefour outlets in those regions. 

Lee Jae-guk, Chairman of the Yangju Pear Cooperatives, said, “European consumers held up their thumbs signifying that Singo pears tasted nice at the sales promotional events. I think we should be patient, making further efforts to make positive forays into the European market. I agree with the manager of a Carrefour outlet, who said that it take time for European consumer to get used to the taste of pears produced in a distant country.”