Having become the first French kiwifruit to enter the East Asian market 21 years ago, gaining entry to Taiwan in 1992 and China in 2009, Oscar is at last set to arrive in South Korea.
The agreement became official on 1 November at the French Gourmet Festival in Seoul in the presence of France's minister for agribusiness, Guillaume Garot.
Jean-Baptiste Pinel, managing director of Prim'land's sales office, commented: 'Our clients are impatient to taste Oscar kiwifruit, and the first deliveries to Seoul are expected on or around 29 December.'
Gaining entry into the South Korean market has been the result of several years' hard work due to the country's strict sanitary specifications.
'The contributions of the services of the French ministry of agriculture and ministry for the economy and finances were decisive in the handling of this export file, in liaison with the Korean sanitary authorities,' said Prim'land's president, François Lafitte, who set the whole process in motion.
For the 2013/14 season, Prim'land plans to market 17,000 tonnes of kiwifruit, 35 per cent of which will head to East Asia.
Oscar, already the clear leader on the French kiwifruit market, is experiencing strong growth in East Asia, as consumers appreciate the flavour of the fruit and its consistent quality throughout the season.
According to Prim'land, the quality of the new kiwifruit crop looks especially promising.
