Yeongam-gun in South Jeolla Province, the country's largest fig-producing region, has begun its first fig harvest of the year.
Yeongam-gun announced Monday that it had started harvesting figs at greenhouse facilities in Samho-eup, marking the official start of the shipping season.
Samho Agricultural Cooperative began purchasing figs Monday, while Seo-Yeongam Agricultural Cooperative is set to begin July 20. A direct-sales fig market in Samho-eup will also open in line with the shipping schedule.
Yeongam figs are grown in conditions of abundant sunlight, a mild climate and fertile soil, earning a loyal following among consumers for their high sugar content and soft texture.
The county is home to 1,596 farming households cultivating figs across 500.25 hectares — the largest fig-growing area in the country.
To develop figs into a future growth industry for the region, the county is carrying out a three-year fig industry development plan covering 2024 to 2026.
The plan channels 4.2 billion won ($2.79 million) across 25 projects in five areas — production, processing, retail, research and development, and marketing — to strengthen the production base of 945 farming households while focusing on climate resilience, quality upgrades and retail competitiveness.
The county also plans to establish a fig research institute and a manufacturing and processing facility to support new variety development and processed-product production. The goal is to transform the industry from fresh-fruit sales into a high-value chain spanning processing and retail.
Yeongam figs are consistently supplied to nationally recognized brands, including Sungsimdang's Yeongam fig layer cake and Banolrim Pizza's Yeongam fig gorgonzola pizza, helping the county's brand value and consumer market grow steadily.
"Figs are more than just the fruit that represents Yeongam — they are a core item in the transformation of our agricultural policy," county chief Woo Seung-hee said. "We will grow this into an industry that connects research, processing and retail, not just production, so that farmers can receive fair prices and earn more income."
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