S. Korean sweet potatoes exported to Singapore for 1st time

SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean sweet potatoes have been exported to
Singapore for the first time, raising the possibility of increased sales of local
farm products to the Southeast Asian country, a state-run agricultural trade
corporation said Friday.
The Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. said 17.5 tons of sweet potatoes, shipped by
a local cooperative, recently arrived in Singapore after two orders were received
last month.
The export deal worth $40,000 reflects a steady rise in demand for such locally
grown products as strawberries, whose increasing popularity helped pave the way
for the deal, and highlights overseas consumer confidence in Korean farm products
that may lead to more orders, it said.
South Korea started shipping strawberries to Singapore in 2002, with the total
reaching $7 million in 2009, or 37 percent of the $19 million worth of
strawberries exported for the whole of last year.
The state-run company added that it hopes to pitch for the sale of locally grown
pumpkins, carrots, radishes and cabbages in the near future.
The company under the farm ministry said it will hold a two-week long special
promotional event with Singapore's Giant Hypermarket chain this month to
advertise the superior quality of South Korean farm products.
Seoul, meanwhile, said it wants to ship out $6.4 billion worth of farm products
this year, up from $4.8 billion tallied for last year. It said the target can be
reached if the country diversifies its export market currently centered on Japan
and the United States, to emerging markets in Southeast Asia and China.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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