The Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province is taking steps to address the recurring price drops of Daebong-gam during harvest seasons and to expand its presence in overseas markets by establishing a distribution infrastructure equipped with sorting and storage facilities.
The focus is on regulating the volume of shipments during peak production periods and enhancing processing and distribution capabilities to secure stable incomes for farmers.
On October 20, Yeongam County held a completion ceremony for the 'Global Specialized Facility for Forest Products' in Geumjeong-myeon, attended by Yeongam County Mayor Woo Seung-hee, Geumjeong Agricultural Cooperative Chairman Choi Young-taek, and local Daebong-gam growers.
This facility was created to improve the structural issue of price drops caused by a surge in shipments during the Daebong-gam harvest season, establishing a stable distribution system through storage and sorting.
Yeongam County secured a total project budget of 1 billion won, including 500 million won from the national government, 200 million won from local funds, and 300 million won from the Geumjeong Agricultural Cooperative.
The newly established specialized facility is a single-story building with a construction area of 611.06 square meters, featuring sorting and packaging workspaces, two cold storage units, and one frozen storage unit. Additional equipment such as sorting and packaging machines will be installed.
Once operational, the facility is expected to help manage the shipment of harvested Daebong-gam according to market conditions by storing them for a certain period, thereby mitigating price fluctuations caused by concentrated harvest volumes.
Moreover, it is anticipated that the facility will strengthen the distribution base for products that meet export standards, including processed items like dried Daebong-gam.
In addition to improving domestic distribution structures, Yeongam County is accelerating efforts to explore overseas markets.
Recently, the county signed a joint product development and distribution agreement with the Vietnamese company THD, targeting the 2027 Lunar New Year, and is working on developing gift products using local agricultural specialties such as Yeongam pears and dried Daebong-gam.
The confirmation of entry into local retail stores in Vietnam, including GO! and Lotte Mart, has raised hopes for expanding the overseas sales network for Yeongam's agricultural specialties. The county plans to initiate local sales starting in December.
If the completion of this specialized facility aligns with securing distribution channels in Vietnam, it could enhance the storage, processing, and sales functions of Daebong-gam and diversify the sales channels concentrated in the domestic market.
However, to translate this into actual income growth for farmers, stable operation of the storage facility, securing export volumes, and ongoing management of overseas sales networks will be essential.
Woo Seung-hee, the mayor of Yeongam County, stated, "In years with high production of Daebong-gam, prices have dropped, making it difficult for farmers to receive fair compensation. I hope this facility will help store and process Daebong-gam for stable sales."
He added, "We will work with Geumjeong Agricultural Cooperative to expand overseas channels and increase farmers' incomes."
Meanwhile, Yeongam Daebong-gam, registered as Geographical Indication No. 17 in 2008, is a representative specialty of Yeongam and a major income crop for local growers in Geumjeong-myeon. Yeongam County plans to improve storage, processing, and distribution conditions centered around this specialized facility and expand sales to overseas markets, including Vietnam.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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