SELLING CROPS ONLINE

[Anchor Lead]

Farmers in Korea are facing hardships this year because of the plummeting prices of crops. But some farms have managed to find more stable ways to sell their produce directly to consumers via the internet and social media. Let's take a look.

[Pkg]

This farm specializes in root crops, such as yams, burdock and bellflower. After finishing their workday, this couple operating the farm is busy posting their produce to an online shopping mall and checking their orders. Online sales account for 80 percent of this farm's annual sales of 200 million won. This couple launched online sales three years ago, because prices at markets lacked stability. Now their profits are more stable than ever.

[Soundbite] KIM YUN-SOOK(FARMER) : "We can set the prices as we want, and they remain stable. This helps us estimate our annual revenues and make farming plans."

This restaurant buys ingredients from an online mall operated directly by farmers. Online markets selling fresh agricultural produce direct from farms offer lower prices than supermarkets. Consumers also find them more trustworthy, as farmers also post messages about how they cultivate their crops.

[Soundbite] PARK EUN-HYE(RESTAURANT OWNER) : "It's cheap and fresh. I trust it, because the site provides accurate information about the produce."

The online agricultural market is booming these days. Last year, the amount of online transactions involving agricultural, livestock and fishery products nationwide surged 24 percent year-on-year to surpass 2.8 trillion won. Twelve online agricultural produce sites supported by the government of Sancheon-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, have seen their sales more than double. Online shopping malls have emerged as a stable source of revenues for farmers.