Korean rice, samgyetang set to be exported to China

Korean rice and samgyetang (chicken soup with ginseng), which have not been exported to China due to Beijing’s strict quarantine, are set to make it into the world’s most populous country.

The Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on Sunday that in the presence of President Park Geun-hye and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Korea and China signed on Saturday a memorandum of understanding suggesting that they will cooperate in quarantine for export of Korean rice and samgyetang.

Korea has laid the foundation to export rice in six years after making request to China to allow import of Korean rice in 2009. Thus far, Korea could not export its rice to China due to vegetation quarantine rules of the nations, but since Korea suggested the issue as an agenda at the Korea-China summit in September this year, negotiations have made progress. The ministry will receive applications for rice processing centers in December, the first shipment will be made in the first half of next year once Beijing completes its inspection of the mills.

“Korean rice will be three to four times as expensive as local produce in China, but it is competitive in terms of safety and quality,” a ministry source said.“A new export market for functional rice products including germinated brown rice will open up.”

Korea and China have also reached an agreement over quarantine of samgyetang in nine years. Seoul made request to Beijing for samgyetang export in 2006, but China did not allow quarantine inspection of samgyetang due to the question over whether ginseng could be classified as food as well as concern over avian influenza infection.