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News
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A green light for fresh Oregon blueberries to South Korea
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10/5/2011
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Article Content Suggested lead
Oregon has become the first state allowed to ship fresh blueberries into the Korean export market. The announcement is seen as great news for one of Oregon agriculture's success stories:
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There is still some work to do over the next few months, but the announcement that a deal has been struck between Oregon and South Korea is being applauded by Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba:
COBA: "It's a huge opportunity for Oregon's blueberry industry. We are poised to take advantage of that as soon as all the protocols are cleared. We are hopeful that will happen for next year's growing season, 2012." :16
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No other state has such an agreement for fresh blueberries. As part of a recent governor's trade mission to Asia, Coba and others stopped in South Korea and saw the great demand for blueberries:
COBA: "I was reminded again of how health conscious the Koreans are- it seems to me even more so than the Japanese. Their herbs, they incorporate in a number of things. Their medicinal supplements- ginseng is everything. Now blueberries seem to be almost as popular as ginseng." :19
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South Korean concern over potential pests and diseases exported with the blueberries has kept fresh product from entering. But ODA will be establishing a voluntary certification program for those growers and packers who want to send fresh blueberries to Korea. It's estimated that up to 500-thousand pounds of product could be exported to the Asian nation next year alone. In Salem, I'm Bruce Pokarney.
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COBA says now that a direct cargo flight has been established between Portland and South Korea, fresh Oregon blueberries can hit the marketplace in a short amount of time, thanks to the sophisticated receiving, processing, and distribution network in Korea:
"I guess we aren't in the era of horse and buggy anymore, are we? But yeah, 48 hours from picking in a field- that's quick but it's doable- from being picked in a field to moving out of the cargo facility and into a store." :14
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ERIC POND, a blueberry grower and chair of the Oregon Blueberry Commission, just returned from the governor's trade mission to Asia and is pleased with the announced agreement, especially since the health message of blueberries is strong in South Korea:
"That's going to be a huge marketplace. It was also interesting to hear about the growing health consciousness of the population. It was not just the people who had money, it was everybody who was interested in eating something that contributed to their whole body health." :17
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Full story
http://oregon.gov/ODA/news/111005blueberries.shtml |
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