Kiwifruit, mangoes and grapefruit are gaining in popularity as a result of free trade agreements inlcuding with the US and Chile, according to Chosun.
Since Korea signed several trade agreements with several exporting countries to reduce import tariffs and quarantine barriers, Korean retailer Lotte Mart has reported an increase in its sales of grapefruit.
As a percentage of total imported fruit sales, grapefruit increased its share from 1.8 per cent in 2013 to 3.9 per cent in 2014.
“The health benefits of the sour to semi-sweet fruit have made it popular among calorie-counting and price-sensitive people as a alternative to organs, which pieces soared due to poor harvests caused by cold weather last year,” a Lotte Mart employee told Chosun.
Korea’s major suppliers of grapefruit are the US, South Africa and Israel, with 11,580 tonnes of grapefruit imported in 2013 according to the International Trade Centre.
