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Strawberry exports ripen to $72M record last year

Published: 18 Feb. 2026, 14:07

Strawberries are displayed at a supermarket in Seoul on Feb. 4. [YONHAP]

Korean strawberries set a record for exports in 2025 while holding their position as the top-selling fruit at major supermarkets domestically, even as tight winter supply kept prices at premium levels.

Strawberry exports reached $72.01 million in 2025, the highest on record, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation on Wednesday.

Exports stood at just $4.4 million in 2005, representing a 16-fold increase over the past 20 years. Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong accounted for the largest share of shipments.

Strawberries handled by NongHyup accounted for about 70 percent of total exports, with the agricultural group recording $49.04 million in overseas sales in 2025, up 7.8 percent from a year earlier.

“Strawberries grown in hot and humid countries lack sweetness and tend to taste more sour,” a NongHyup representative said. “They struggle to match the sugar content and quality of Korean strawberries.”

At home, strawberries have ranked No. 1 in fruit sales at E-Mart, Homeplus and Lotte Mart for three consecutive years starting in 2022.

The fruit has also gained ground in the food service industry. Desserts such as Seongsimdang’s strawberry cake — from the popular Daejeon-based bakery chain — and fresh strawberry mochi filled with Dubai chocolate have drawn steady demand, intensifying competition among retailers to secure high-quality strawberries.

Daejeon-based bakery chain Sungsimdang's strawberry cake [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Prices also rise in winter as cold weather constrains shipments and supply tightens.

A cold wave in late January reduced shipments this year and drove prices higher. The retail price of strawberries averaged 2,278 won per 100 grams ($8 per pound) in early February, up 17.8 percent from a year earlier, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation.

A 500-gram pack sold for about 11,400 won.

Strawberries did not always dominate winter fruit markets. The development of the domestic variety called "Seolhyang" in 2005 by the Strawberry Research Institute under the Chungcheongnamdo Agricultural Research and Extension allowed farmers to harvest starting in November, which marked a turning point.

High vitamin C content also supports winter demand. Adults can meet more than 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of 100 milligrams of vitamin C by eating seven strawberries, or about 150 grams.

In line with rising demand, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to expand smart farms — greenhouses equipped with sensors, AI-based controls and automated climate systems — and upgrade seedling cultivation technology to ensure stable supply.

NongHyup has also promoted entry-level smart farm programs, with the number of participating strawberry farms rising from 14 in 2023 to 329 last year.

“Strawberries soften easily depending on temperature and humidity,” a NongHyup representative said. “Entry-level smart farms help farmers maintain optimal growing conditions through automated ventilation systems and nutrient solution controllers, even remotely, which improves quality.”

Strawberries are displayed at a supermarket in Seoul on Feb. 4. [YONHAP]

Expanded adoption of smart farm technology could further boost farm income. Nearly all strawberries — about 98 percent — are cultivated in greenhouses rather than open fields.

Smart farms that apply nine core technologies, including AI-based environmental control systems, can raise strawberry output by up to 83 percent compared to conventional greenhouses and increase annual net profit by as much as 3.5 times, according to the Rural Development Administration (RDA).

Farmers must invest about 660 million won per 3,300 square meters (35,520 square feet), roughly the average greenhouse size, to adopt all nine technologies. But they can recover the investment within three to four years if they meet annual production targets, the RDA said.

“To increase income for strawberry farmers, producers must expand winter output, when prices run higher, and that requires precise environmental control,” Cho Yong-bin, director general of the agricultural engineering department at the RDA, said. “If we significantly raise productivity in strawberry greenhouses through AI convergence technology, young and startup farmers can expect stable and competitive income comparable to urban workers.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-HEE [[email protected]]