Bad weather during the flowering and fruit growing seasons will probably cause the Korean fresh apple production to decrease by 14 percent to 467,800 metric tons (MT) in Marketing Year 2018/19. Meanwhile, the area where apples are grown continues to shift northward in response to localized effects of climate change. Consumption is expected to decrease in line with a decline in production and rising prices.
Consumption
Korea’s per capita apple consumption in 2017 reached 10.5 kilograms, making apples the second most consumed fruit in Korea, after citrus (11.6 kg). In 2018, the per capita consumption of apples is expected to decrease to 9.4 kilograms mainly due to decreased apple supply caused by the aforementioned poor weather conditions during the flowering and fruit growing seasons.
Korea’s apple industry forecasts that demand for small and medium-size apples, which weigh between 51 and 250 grams, is expected to increase steadily in the coming years due to a continued increase in the number of single-member households in Korea. Large-size apples (weighing between 251 and 300 grams) are expected to be used mainly for gift-giving during the two traditional Korean holidays (the lunar New Year’s Day & the Korean Thanksgiving Day).
As fresh apples can be sold in the local market at a more profitable price than when they are exported, not many Korean apple farmers are focused on the export market. Annual fresh apple exports account for about one percent of total production. In marketing year 2017/18, Korea exported 2,901 MT of fresh apples. Taiwan is the biggest export market for Korean fresh apples with a 56 percent share (1,639 MT), followed by Vietnam with 14 percent. Korean fresh apple exports to Vietnam for the past three years increased 41 percent to 418 MT in MY 2017/18 from 296 MT in MY 2016/17 due to increased demand for Korean fresh fruits, including pears and strawberries, with the continuing popularity of Korean culture.
