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| ▲ People shop at a convenience store specialized in selling instant noodles, or "ramyeon," in Seoul on Dec. 5, 2023. (Yonhap) |
agricultural goods-exports
Exports of food items, agro products hit record high in 2023
SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports of farm produce and food items reached an all-time high last year on the back of the popularity of Korean culture, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday.
Outbound shipments of agricultural goods and related food items came to $9.16 billion in 2023, up 3 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Exports of farm produce and related food items have been on a steady increase in recent years from $6.1 billion in 2015 to $7.3 billion in 2019.
By item, sales of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, jumped 24.4 percent on-year to $952.4 million in 2023, and those of beverages rose 11.5 percent to $572 million.
Exports of snacks advanced 6 percent to $659.1 million, and instant rice and other rice-based items saw sales climb 18.9 percent to $216.3 million.
Exports of kimchi rose 10.5 percent to $155.6 million, and those of strawberries and grapes also jumped 21.2 percent and 34.6 percent, respectively, the data showed.
By destination, exports to China went up 8.2 percent on-year to $1.42 billion, and those to the United States rose 8.7 percent to $1.31 billion.
Apart from food sales, exports from the related industry sectors, including smart farms and agricultural machines, also reached a record high of $2.98 billion last year, rising 1.2 percent on-year.
"The government set this year's target of K-food exports at $13.5 billion and plans to announce comprehensive growth strategies," a ministry official said.
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