Research Reports
Strategy for Developing Fruit Processing Industry
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AuthorJeon, Changgon
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Publication Date2010.10.01
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Original
The purpose of this study is to present a mid- and long-term development strategy of the fruit processing industry for finding out a new growth power source and high value added of the fruit industry by means of efficient connection between the fruit processing industry and orchard farming in Korea.
For approximately 20 years since 1990, the amount of fruits produced in Korea is showing an increasing trend by 2.38% per annum and the amount of fruits produced in Korea in 2008 is 2,698,000 tons. However, the ratio of raw fruits used for processing to the amount of produced fruits is 6.9% which means a relatively low level. In terms of items for processing, 6.8% of apples, 3.7% of peaches and 1.5% of grapes were processed. In terms of the amount of processed items, mandarines occupied 55.1%, apples 17.5%, citrons 6.8%, persimmons 5.3%, pears 3.9%, peaches 3.6%, and grapes 2.3%.
Processed fruit products vary with the type of fruits in their share, and more fruit juices and wines are showing an increasing trend. The beverage market size of Korea was 3 trillion and 200 billion won as of 2008, and the market share of fruit juice was approximately 810 billion won. The market share of fruit wines is 1.78% and 0.57%, respectively, in terms of the amount and volume of selling in the alcohol market.
It is estimated that approximately 4,000 employees work in the fruit processing industry and each processing company employs at most 10 staffs which means a small-scale company. With respect to the result of management analysis of the fruit processing industry, the ratio of increase per annum for values added of each fruit processing company after 1999 was 3.78%, and the per capita labor productivity and the capital productivity showed annual average increase of 1.81% and 4.15%, respectively, since 1995. Profitability is showing a decreasing trend since 2003, and the debt ratio for stability is showing 160 to 180% in average, which means a low integrity of an enterprise. Investment of research and development is showing 1% trend in the amount of sales amount, which is a low level.
In terms of processing items in this study, mandarines are showing approximately 15 to 20% since 2005, 99% of which are used for mandarine concentration extract for juice. For apples, more than 90% thereof are used for beverages and apple wines including concentration extract, and the share of wines from grapes is 0.43% in the alcohol market and 7 to 8% in the wine market.
Shares of items by processing companies in the total production amount are 3.2% for apples, 2.8% for grapes and 1.9% for mandarines, respectively. In terms of connection of each item with farmers, more apples and grapes were processed than non-processed consumption, but 86.7% of mandarines were processed, which is considered a very high ratio. Most of apples and mandarines were processed by companies but most of grapes directly by farmers who produced them. In case of farmer's processing, they experienced difficulty in finding a market to sell the products. For activating the fruit processing industry, opinions were presented to increase the number of processing factories for farmers' association, and to create demands by means of developing a variety of processed products.
Consumers consider prices, brands, and the origin of production when purchasing fruit juices and most of them are buying fruit juice in large-scale supermarkets. It was shown that consumers purchase wine once every 6 months and prefer imported wines (from France, Chile). Considerations when buying wines are taste, prices, the country of origin, brands, etc.
Current problems in the fruit processing industry are ① inefficient connection between the processing industry and farmers, ② a limited variety of processed fruit products, ③ small-scale, discrete and non-linked processing companies, ④ a low level of growth and management outcomes of the fruit processing industry, ⑤ no joint marketing strategy for each processed product and processing industry and ⑥ no processed fruit product brands. Therefore, emphasis should be laid on setting the basic direction of the fruit processing industry, e.g., ① constructing an efficient link between the processing industry and farmers, ② developing a variety of processed fruit products, ③ organization and cooperation of fruit processing companies, ④ refining processed fruit products with brands, and ⑤ more investment for research and development, in order to take measures for problems of each item of fruits and thus to get highly competitive power of the fruit processing industry.
Researchers: Jeon Chang-Gon, Kim Dong-hoon
E-mail Address: cgjeon@krei.re.kr
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