Summer Fruit

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Fruit harvested this time of the year is difficult to store and sweetness may suffer due to rain or hot tropical nights. The Rural Development Administration has developed new types of summer fruit in light of these shortcomings. Here’s more.

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They are the summer peach varietals 'Mihong' and 'Yumi.' Peaches are usually marketed around late August but late June is the best time to harvest these two breeds. Their colors set in nicely even without paper wrappings. They're also resistant to diseases and pests. Their large size and high level of sweetness are also reasons why farmers love the new summer peaches.

[Soundbite] An Chang-oh(Peach Farmer) : "I save on manpower. Also, unwrapped peaches are about 1% sweeter than the wrapped ones."

This is a homegrown fruit named the "plumcot." Plumcot has the best of both worlds, the sweet apricot flavor and the juicyness of plums. Harvest time is also more than ten days faster than the plum or apricot. It has emerged as a competitive, profit earning crop for the early summer when seasonal fruit are still rare.

[Soundbite] Park Jae-guk(Plumcot Farmer) : "Harvest time is early. This creates price competitiveness for plumcots over plums and apricots."

These summer fruits are rich in functional substances that are good for our health. They're also very compatible with the domestic climate and soil and are therefore drawing attention as an alternative to imported agricultural produce. The Rural Development Administration will more than double the distribution of summer fruit varieties over the next 3 years to gain advance foothold in the early summer fruit market.