New deal marks first entry into Latin America for the Korean fruit
After eight years of negotiations, Korea’s Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Quarantine Headquarters has announced it has finalised import quarantine requirements to export Korean strawberries to Brazil.
Strawberries are a major agricultural export for Korea with about 4,000 tonnes sent to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand every year.
The Ministry expects the new access to Brazil to contribute to further expansion of the global market for Korean strawberries.
“This negotiation is significant in that Korean strawberries will be exported to Latin American countries for the first time,” said Kim Jung-hee, head of the agriculture, food and rural affairs quarantine division. “We expect it to be a bridgehead for entry into the Latin American market with 600mn people.”
The quarantine headquarters had been negotiating with the Brazilian plant quarantine authorities since 2017, according to a report by Maeil Business News.
Under the new requirements, Korean strawberry exporters will have to register cultivation greenhouses and line managers with the quarantine headquarters before planting strawberry seedlings and provide thorough management to prevent pests. There will also be a series of plantation and export quarantine procedures.
According to Maeil Business News, Korea’s Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Quarantine Headquarters plans to provide guidelines within the first half of 2025 to support exporters planning to send fruit to Brazil.
