Honghee Kingsberry and other new strawberry varieties are getting favorable reviews in the Philippines

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister Song Mee-ryeong) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT, President Hong Moon-pyo) successfully held the ‘Korean Premium Strawberry Tasting Fair’ in Manila, Philippines on the 11th together with the strawberry export integration organization K-Berry Co., Ltd. (CEO Kim Moon-gyu).

 Korean strawberries, which have been officially exported to the Philippines since 2021, have emerged as a popular item, growing by about two-fold in a short period of time to 188 tons and 2.8 million dollars in exports in 2023. aT and K-Berry Co., Ltd. took note of the high market potential in the Philippines and planned a tasting event to showcase various new varieties such as Geumsil, Honghee, and Kingsberry while emphasizing the quality and differentiated characteristics of Korean strawberries.

 In particular, we invited 27 major Philippine import distributors, including local large-scale distribution chains S&R, SM Supermarket, Landers, and Marketplace, to explore ways to secure sales channels for the new strawberry variety and expand exports. We also invited a number of local influencers to simultaneously promote the excellence of the new strawberry variety to Filipino consumers.

 Attendees were impressed by the Korean strawberries, which are larger and sweeter than regular strawberries, as they tasted not only the representative Korean variety, Seolhyang, but also three new varieties, Geumsil, Honghee, and Kingsberry, which were carefully selected through thorough quality control. In particular, Honghee, which is resistant to high temperatures, anthracnose, and blight, received enthusiastic attention from buyers due to its stable production and high-quality large fruit even in abnormal climates.

 “Korean strawberries are so popular that we were considering expanding our imports, and we are delighted to have come across these new varieties,” said Catherine, a fruit importer. “These new varieties of strawberries are all premium products with excellent size and sweetness, so we expect them to be popular with Filipino consumers.”

 aT Export Food Director Kwon Oh-yeop said, “New varieties currently under development for various items including strawberries, pears, grapes, and kiwis have the advantage of being able to respond to climate change, so they have a high possibility of success in overseas markets,” and added, “We will spur strategic marketing tailored to local distribution networks and consumer demand in order to expand exports of fresh items that are directly related to farmers’ income.”

Editor. Hong Se-yeong