Since 2012, the cooperative has been working with pear farmers in Jinju city, South Gyeongsang Province to carry out contract cultivation on a total of 60ha of land.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The pears from these farms are recognised both locally and internationally for high quality, having acquired the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification and the first ISO 22000 certification in the fresh fruit sector of Korea’s agricultural industry.
Its rigorous sorting process, in line with ISO 22000 standards, ensures that only top-quality pears with high Brix level are selected for export.
Apart from obtaining the world’s first Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) halal certification for pears, it was also halal-certified by the Emirates Standards and Measurement Authority (UAE ESMA) in 2017.
Starting with Hong Kong that year, the pears are exported to 16 countries, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, The Netherlands, and UAE.
Previously, up to 20% to 40% of pears were rejected during the sorting process, and these were then processed into pear extract, pear syrup, and preserved pear and bellflower root. This enabled the farmers to sell all the pears they produced.
Since late 2024, the cooperative has also succeeded in making juice out of “ugly pears” and exporting them. Although these “ugly pears” have no issues with sweetness level and are safe for consumption, they do not meet some marketable standards and therefore cannot be exported.
As the number of ugly pears has been increasing due to climate change, farmers face difficulty in distributing them in the local market and have been disposing them altogether.
“Because of the record-breaking heat wave and heavy rain that continued from summer till mid-September last year, most pear farmers in Jinju, as well as those from Anseong in Gyeonggi Province and Asan in South Chungcheong Province, suffered greatly.
“The hot sun caused the pears’ skin to discolour and flesh to turn brown. As pear cultivation involved covering the fruit with bags, the farmers were particularly shocked by the severity of the sun damage after harvesting the pears.
“Even if the pears look good when inspected with the naked eye, the flesh quality can deteriorate after storage and shipment, so many farmers were left with non-saleable pears,” the cooperative said.
To resolve the problem, the cooperative selected ugly pears with a sugar content of 12 Brix or higher and made them into juice, which was then supplied to local businesses in Jinju.
“Non-saleable pears can now provide new revenue-generating opportunities for producers, while consumers get to enjoy high-quality pear juice products.”
Export expansion
According to Korean Pears Cooperative Union, the first overseas shipment of its pear juice product was to Australia last year.
“It is a premium product made from 100% pear juice using a flash sterilisation (pasteurisation) method. We have been steadily exporting the product in 150ml pouch format to Australia, and we have established a production line for 250ml bottles to expand our export market to the US and Canada.
“With the opening of this new export route, we hope it will help improve the livelihood and income of farmers who are having a hard time with non-saleable produce.”
Additionally, the cooperative and Jinju City plan to further expand overseas markets by establishing a system to process juice not only from by-products of nearby pear farms, but also non-saleable fruits from other provinces’ pear export cooperatives.
In October 2024, they attended a Jinju agricultural and specialty product event held in Dubai to promote the city’s pears and juice, in a bid to boost exports to the Middle East region.
The cooperative is also working with Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) and other Korean agencies to participate in overseas trade shows, special sales events, and buyer-export consultations to publicise its pears and open up new markets.
