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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH okra to hit South Korea market soon -- DA chief

PH okra to hit South Korea market soon -- DA chief

Published May 11, 2021 10:15 am

The Philippines will soon start exporting okra or lady’s fingers to South Korea, the Department of Agriculture (DA) bared.

(Photo courtesy of the Department of Agriculture)

“After the resumption of okra exports to Japan last year, we are opening yet another market access for our okra, this time with the huge Korean food market," DA Secretary William Dar said in a statement.

Considering that this development came amid the pandemic, Dar said it is a milestone for the country as the Philippine government has been requesting market access of okra to Korea since 2014.

According to Agriculture Attachè Aleli Maghirang, the government of Korea announced the completion of the ruling process for the Philippine okra market access to Korea through an official notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) on May 6.

“I commend the efforts of concerned DA offices, particularly the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul, for this breakthrough and significant development that will also pave the way more farm and fishery exports to Korea,” Maghirang said.

The DA chief said exports of fresh, green okra pods will be sourced initially from Tarlac province, where DA-BPI accredited farms and packing houses are located.

There are currently four Philippine okra exporters, namely: Jelfarm Fresh Produce Enterprise, Greenstar Produce Philippines Inc., AAMC Foods Corp., and Hi-Las Marketing Corp. All are members of the Philippine Okra Producers and Exporters Association (POPEA).

In Korea, okra is not as mainstream as radish, cabbage, cucumber, potato, and sprouts, which are used as ingredients in many Korean dishes. But some Koreans eat okra as “banchan” (side dish), including “okra muchim” (seasoned) or “okra kimchi” (pickled/fermented).

Okra is available only on the online market in either frozen or dried form. Processed okra products in the foreign country are mostly imported from China, while the fresh, green pods are only available in small volume during summer season. These are mostly consumed by Filipinos and other Asian nationalities in Korea.

“This is therefore a good opportunity for us to enter the Korean food market and promote Philippine okra for mainstream consumers,” Dar said.

Related Tags

okra south korea Secretary William Dar OKRA EXPORT department of agriculture
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