Harvesting has begun for Jeju’s apple jujubes… or applejubes, as they are known here. The fruit is garnering attention as the next big thing in the agriculture market. Jujubes are easy to grow… all they need is a greenhouse. What’s more is that applejubes(애플쥬베) ripen earlier in the year than late-maturing mandarins, so the fruit is ideal as a supplementary crop. Suejin Choi reports.


Every tree here has fruit hanging from it.

They may look like apples… but they’re jujubes… apple jujubes in fact.
Weighing 30 to 40 grams each… they grow to be about 5 to 6 centimeters in length.

Apple jujube trees were first grown in Jeju about five years ago. At first they were grown outdoors but couldn’t withstand the strong winds and the jujubes would fall from the trees prematurely, so farmers turned to greenhouses. And through trial and error, Jeju’s first batch of apple jujubes was harvested last year.

[INTERVIEW]
Song Sang-cheol / Jeju ARES
The harvest will likely last from September to October, when there’s not much from the mainland to compete with the fruit. That’s gives us an advantage.
< 송상철 / 제주도농업깃��>
"수확시기가 9월에서 10월 상순으로 육지부에서 생산되지 않은 시기에 출하되면서 경쟁력이 있을 것으로 판단돼 보급하고 있습니다."

The fully mature apple jujube has a sweetness of 20 degrees Brix… which is much sweeter than the average mandarin orange.

[INTERVIEW]
Kang Jeong-moon / ‘Apple jujube’ grower
Since harvest is earlier than mandarins, it’s easier to find and manage laborers.
<강정문 / 사과 대추 재배 농가>
"수확시기가 감귤류보다 빠르다보니 일손 구하기도 쉽고 일반 감귤농사를 짓는 농가들도 일손을 분산시킬 수 있는 (장점이 있습니다.)"

The price for a 1.6 kilogram box of apple jujubes has been set at about 30,000 won for retail at major supermarkets. The fruit will also be sold at department stores and delivered to luxury hotels.

The apple jujubes of Jeju are distributed almost a month earlier than in other regions across the nation… between late September and late October.

[reporter]
Suejin Choi

They are also cost-effective, as the fruit is grown in greenhouses that do not require electric heating. With all things considered, growing apple jujubes is becoming a popular supplementary option for farmers here in Jeju.

Suejin Choi, KCTV.