Jeju International Citrus Expo kicks off

A statue made of oranges is exhibited during the Seogwipo International Citrus Pre-EXPO 2014 at Seogwipo Agricultural Technology Center in Jeju. / Courtesy of the Jeju International Citrus Expo 2015

By Park Jin-hai

Chung Dal-ho

The Jeju International Citrus Expo 2015 kicked off on Friday for a ten-day run on the southern resort island, aiming to boost the global competitiveness of the local citrus industry as well as the local economy.

Under the slogan of “The Future of Jeju, the World-wide Prestigious Citrus,” the international exhibition was organized by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in and around Seogwipo Agricultural Technology Center and the Citrus Museum.

Over 200 businesses from 15 countries convened to discuss how to promote the citrus fruit industry and cultivate it as a national growth engine.

The city expects some 150,000 people will visit the venue.

“Local citrus producers are faced with difficulties both from soaring imports from Chile and China after free trade agreements and from falling prices due to the failure of supply control,” said Chung Dal-ho, chairman of the organizing committee for the expo. “The expo aims to raise the competitiveness of the Korean orange industry adding premium value in the global arena.”

For this year’s convention, the committee has prepared for the past two years holding pre-expos, highlighting the importance of the local industry.

“Previously, it remained as a festival for the local community,” said Chung. “This year we have elevated it into a truly international expo, where businesses of each orange-producing country will review industry overviews and put their heads together to boost government policies and technologies for the development of the whole industry.”

One major achievement this year, he said, is the launch of an academic society on subtropical plants. “By regularly holding academic gatherings here, the distinct local oranges could gain international attention, leading to more export opportunities for local producers,” he explained.

He expected that the expo will also help the local orange varieties receive international certificates in the global market.

Jeju produces most of the citrus fruit consumed domestically in Korea. Moreover, Korea exported 3,600 tons of fruit in 2014, with Britain receiving the largest portion at 1,500 tons, followed by Canada with 722 tons.

Chung said the citrus expo will make Jeju an international orange center.

“As Goethe who was impressed by its lemon farms called Italy the land of lemons, I wish people visiting Jeju could call it the land of oranges,” he added.

Apart from the academic exchanges, the expo will have various fun activities and events such as a citrus contest, a citrus cooking competition and a citrus art competition, where participants will make art with citrus.

The expo has grown in size over the past couple years. In 2013, the first pre-expo saw only 60 businesses involved including eight from overseas. For this year that number rose to 200 participating businesses from 15 countries.

The organizing committee aims to promote the global status of Jeju in the citrus industry, further elevating its international clout by 2019 and establishing it as the world’s representative citrus -producing region by 2020.