As Japan continues to face a prolonged rice shortage, Korean rice is gaining traction in the Japanese market. Following the first export of rice fr...
A ceremony is held to mark the shipment of rice produced in Hadong-gun to Japan at the county’s NongHyup Rice Cooperative Joint Business Corporation in Geumnam-myeon, Hadong-gun, on May 20. / Courtesy of South Gyeongsang Province As Japan continues to face a prolonged rice shortage, Korean rice is gaining traction in the Japanese market.
Following the first export of rice from Haenam-gun in South Jeolla Province in March this year, additional shipments from Hadong-gun in South Gyeongsang Province and Gangjin-gun in South Jeolla Province are scheduled by the end of the year, with plans to export around 200 to 400 tons. On May 20, South Gyeongsang Province said that Hadong Seomjingang Rice, grown in Hadong-gun, will be exported to Japan. This marks the first time rice produced in the province has been exported to Japan since rice export records began in 1990. The export volume of Hadong Seomjingang Rice totaled 80 tons, or 20,000 4-kilogram bags. The provincial government said that “the rice will be sold primarily through the Japanese retail chain Heiwado, which operates 100 stores in the Kansai region. An additional 200 tons are expected to be exported by the end of the year.” Hadong Seomjingang Rice is a premium product cultivated in the pristine natural environment of Hadong-gun. Thanks to rigorous quality control, it has earned high marks in global markets. Last year, a record-breaking 518 tons were exported to 11 countries. Korea’s National Agricultural Cooperative Federation is now actively promoting rice exports, leveraging the opportunity presented by Japan’s domestic shortage. Traditionally, Korea’s rice exports to Japan have been rare due to Japan’s strong preference for domestic rice and low-price competitiveness. However, in March this year, 2 tons of Ttangkkeut Hatssal, a signature rice variety from Haenam-gun, South Jeolla Province, were exported for the first time, which was quickly sold out. NongHyup plans to export 5,000 tons of surplus rice produced last year by the end of this year. Since opening the door to the Japanese market, Ttangkkeut Hatssal saw an additional 10 tons exported last month, with another 39.8 tons scheduled for shipment this month. Another 10 tons are expected to be exported to Japan after June, bringing the projected total to 61.8 tons this year. Gangjin County in South Jeolla Province will also begin rice exports next week. The county government said that “starting May 26, 40 tons will be shipped, with plans to export a total of 400 tons over 10 weekly shipments via the integrated NongHyup Rice Processing Complex .” South Jeolla Province alone accounts for roughly half of NongHyup’s planned rice export volume. Meanwhile, NongHyup Rice Cooperative Joint Business Corporations in Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and North Gyeongsang Provinces are also reportedly in negotiations or preparing for exports to Japan. The rice export initiative is being led by NongHyup Trading, a subsidiary of NongHyup, through its Japanese branch, NongHyup International. Some have raised concerns that the export price is too low, but NongHyup disputes this claim, saying, “It's not true. If the selling price is low, there is no reason to export.” “For example, if a 10kg bag of rice is sold in Japan for around 90,000 won, and we subtract the tariff of 34,000 won and logistics costs of 20,000 won, the actual sales revenue is about 36,000 won,” a NongHyup official explained. “Since this is similar to the domestic retail price of 34,000 to 36,000 won, we are not incurring losses.” 경제 많이 본 기사 A NongHyup Trading official said, “While the first shipment of 2 tons to Japan was a small amount, so logistics costs were high, but since then, we have been exporting 10 to 40 tons in large quantities, so we are making a profit. We are receiving many inquiries from all over the country, so we will continue to promote exports in cooperation with local governments.” Officials from South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang Provinces said, “The price of rice exported to Japan is roughly on par with domestic prices. Expanding exports will help domestic farmers struggling with overproduction.” ※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.
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