S. Korea to ban imports of Chinese dried persimmon

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- The government said Friday that it will ban imports of all dried persimmons from China starting next week after the discovery of a harmful parasite in the farm product.

The National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) said it found a type of tephritid
fruit fly that can wreak havoc on the local eco-system in parcels brought into
the country by people who visited China.
Because the fly, known as bactrocera dorsalis, is not indigenous to the country,
there are no natural predators that can prevent it from spreading throughout the
country and hurting both cultivated and wild fruits.
The ban is to go into effect for all shipments that embarked China after Feb. 6.
The quarantine service under the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries said those that arrive before the official ban is enforced will have to
undergo thorough examination and decontamination before they are allowed into the
market. It also advised travelers not to bring in Chinese persimmons.
Of the 3,776 tons of dried persimmons imported last year, almost all were from
China, with slightly more than 100 tons imported from North Korea. The size of
Chinese imports is roughly equivalent to 30 percent of the local market.
Besides affecting Chinese imports, the ban will technically be enforced for all
countries that have the particular type of fruit fly, including Taiwan,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, parts of the United States, Australia, and some
South American countries.
The ban will be in place until the countries that ship dried persimmons can make
assurances that the issue has been effectively dealt with.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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