As more and more consumers are seeking safer foods, locally grown organic bananas become popular among consumers.
Joseph Kim reports.


Banana trees stand high toward the greenhouse ceiling.
Hands of bananas that have fully ripened are being harvested with care.


The owner of the greenhouse attempted to grow the tropical fruits for the first time last year.
He chose organic farming despite the greater effort required.


Greenhouse grown bananas were successfully raised in Jeju from the mid-1980s as the island has quite mild winters.

As of 1989, the area of banana farming reached 400 hectares and the annual production exceeded 20,000 tons.
However, production plunged as many free trade agreements were signed between Korea and many banana producing countries.
Cheap bananas crushed the local banana industry.


These days, demand for Jeju organic bananas is on the rise as consumers seek better and safer foods.


The safety of the fruit is recognized as it doesn't have to be treated with chemicals including pesticides to prevent plant diseases as the shipping period is much shorter than imported fruits.

The (김녕) Gimnyeong office of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation chose the crop as a local specialty and 26,000 square meters of banana farms have been created in the eastern part of the island.


The Jeju Agricultural Research & Extension Service is providing a heating system that uses renewable energy to cut heating costs which is the biggest burden to banana growers.


Local banana growers are hoping the tropical fruit to become a new cash crop in Jeju.

Joseph Kim, KCTV