SEOUL: South Korean customs office has showed that grapefruit imports totaled 19,491 tonnes worth US$14.39 million in 2014. The figures mark a 68.3 percent rise in volume and 63.6 percent increase in trade value from the previous year.
South Korea’s imports of grapefruits soared to a fresh high last year as consumer demand for the citrus fruit spiked on its new-found popularity in the country. Data by the customs office showed that grapefruit imports totaled 19,491 tons worth US$14.39 million in 2014. The figures mark a 68.3 percent rise in volume and 63.6 percent increase in trade value from the previous year. Compared with five years earlier, imports of the fruit more than tripled both in volume and amount.
Separate data by retail conglomerate Lotte, which operates the discount chain Lotte Mart, showed that grapefruit sales were nearly half of those for oranges, growing from a 5 percent portion in 2009. The retailer’s data also showed that sales growth of grapefruits also surpassed that of other popular imported fruits, such as melons and cherries.
