"Likely to Appeal Overseas"... Sweet Challenge of 'K-Chestnut'

[Anchor]

Facing chronic challenges from aging populations and labor shortages, the chestnut industry is reorganizing its market around premium processed goods such as roasted sweet chestnuts and chestnut yokan (sweet chestnut jelly). Analysts suggest that the advantage of easily enjoying high-quality chestnuts without having to peel hard shells could help them succeed overseas as well.

This is a report by Kim Chul-jin from TJB.

[Reporter]

Brown chestnut burs are gathered together along the hillside, where harvesting is in full swing.

Thanks to abundant sunlight and adequate rainfall, high-quality chestnuts have grown in abundance this year.

However, despite such a bountiful harvest, chestnut production has been decreasing every year.

Domestic chestnut production, which reached 55,000 tons 10 years ago, dropped to 39,000 tons last year.

This is because a chronic labor shortage caused by the aging of rural communities is shaking the production foundation.

[Cho Jwa-yeon / Chairman, Korea Chestnut Growers Association: "Faced with having to pay about 150,000 won (daily wages for foreign workers), chestnut-growing forestry households are struggling even more due to rising labor costs."]br />
This is why the chestnut industry is turning its eyes away from selling raw chestnuts and whole products toward processing-centered premiumization.

From flavored roasted chestnuts coated on peeled chestnuts to "chestnut yokan," which has regained attention thanks to a hit song.

As consumption of processed chestnut products also increases, about 40% of chestnuts produced domestically are now used as raw materials for processed foods.

Recently, they have been moving beyond the domestic market to target overseas markets as well.

The plan is to inversely foster self-sufficiency through the "evolution of chestnuts" amid situations where agricultural market openings such as FTAs are expanding.

[Kang Shin-hwang / CEO of a Chestnut Processed Products Company: "We participated in and introduced them at food exhibitions such as FOODEX in Japan, and we are actively (discussing) with convenience stores such as 7-Eleven."]br />
Although the export volume of processed chestnut products is only about 360 tons, accounting for about 9% of total chestnut exports, it is evaluated that there is sufficient growth potential.

Compared to overseas chestnuts, they have larger sizes, superior texture and flavor, low fat content, and are rich in potassium and dietary fiber, increasing their competitiveness as processed foods.

[Kang Kyung-shim / Professor, Department of Food Service Industry, Kongju National University: "The fat content is low, complex polysaccharides are abundant, dietary fiber is rich, and the content of vitamin C and potassium is high."]br />
Amid the crisis of declining production, attention is focused on whether our chestnuts, which are finding a breakthrough through processing and exports, can leap forward into a "K-food" that captures the palates of people around the world.

(Video Journalist: Sung Nak-jung from TJB, Kim Sung-soo from TJB, Yoon Sang-hoon from TJB)

TJB Kim Chul-jin
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.