Bernama
South Korea To Export Paprika, Grapes To China
SEOUL, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- South Korea is expected to gain access to China's paprika and grape market in the next few years, the government said Monday, reported Yonhap news agency.
The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that talks between the National Plant Quarantine Service and its Chinese counterpart last week made meaningful headway that could permit export of paprika after next year and grapes in 2011.
In the talks held in Seoul, Chinese quarantine officials agreed to speed up their pest risk assessment (PRA) after examining the rigorous quality and safety control of local farms and processing facilities that handle the two products.
South Korea has been asking for market access for paprika, grapes, rice, strawberries, sweet persimmons, tomatoes and tangerines since 2007 but had made little progress due to Beijing's PRA rules.
The ministry in charge of the country's farm and fisheries policies said in exchange for exporting paprika and grapes, Seoul will do its part to allow Chinese lichi and squash to be imported in the 2010-2011 period.
In preparation for future exports, it said the government will provide market information to produce growers and trading companies and carry out detailed research that can help locally grown products to win over consumers.
Source [http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=440340]