Once called Jeju’s lifeblood, Jeju mandarins are losing some of their lustre. Lower quality fruit is generating less income. Here’s Joseph Kim with a look at the current state of the industry.

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Disagreements on production, distribution, policy

Sustaining Jeju’s economy for several decades, Jeju’s mandarin trees have earned the nickname, “college trees”. However, the status of Jeju mandarins has taken a tumble due to disagreements on production, distribution and policy.

INTERVIEW
Heo In-ok / Professor emeritus, Jeju National University
Jeju’s mandarin industry is now at risk. The quality hasn’t improved over the last 50 years.
<인터뷰:허인옥 / 제주대학교 명예교수>
"지금은 아주 어떻게 보면 감귤 산업의 위기다. 50년 내내 품질이 향상이 안됐습니다. "

Differing from Jeju, the mandarin industries in neighboring countries have changed drastically. China, the country of origin of the Unshiu orange, has implemented a policy for increased production and has inundated the market with its sheer volume.

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Strengthening mandarin industry in China

Additionally, as a result of agricultural research, China planted mandarin orchards in mountainous areas and greenhouses for growing high quality mandarins.

INTERVIEW
Seo Geon-gook / Zhejiang Mandarin Research Institute
We used to grow mandarins on flat land, but we started research on growing in mountainous areas in the early 1950s. Mandarins grown there contain a higher sugar content than those from flat land, and the sales volume for them is more stable. These days, more than 80% of our mandarins are grown in mountainous areas.
<인터뷰:서건국 절강성 감귤연구소 부소장>
"이전에는 평지 위주로 재배했고 1950년대초 부터는 산지 연구를 진행하고 있습니다.
산지 감귤이 평지 감귤보다 당도가 높고 판매량도 안정적입니다.
지금은 산지 재배가 80% 이상 차지합니다. "

Even though the mandarin is under protection from the FTA between Korea and China, the growth trend of of the Chinese mandarin industry is an increasing threat in the export market.

Japan introduced a grade system not according to size but taste of the fruit.

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Japan introduces new assessment system

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Hyeon Gwang-hoon

Additionally, when sorting mandarins, they remove all non-marketable fruit and find a way for the mandarin industry to continue by increasing the land for farming.

The plan is to make a large mandarin complex by cutting into the mountainous areas to create flat land to address the aging population of farmers and attract younger workers.

INTERVIEW
Maruyama / Shimizu agricultural cooperative
The aging population is a growing problem in Japan. Since mandarin farmers are mostly in their 70s, we are going to extend the cultivation of mandarins from slopes to flat land so that we can attract younger people to work.
<인터뷰:마루야마/ 시미즈 농협>
"일단,일본 전체가 마찬가지인데 고령화가 문제라고 생각합니다.
감귤 농사하시는 분들이 70대 이상이기 때문에 경사면에서 평지로 재배지를 늘려서 젊은 사람들을 끌어모으려고 하고 있습니다. "

[reporter]
Joseph Kim

China and Japan not only present blueprints on how to overcome the crisis but also examples of good farming models for the Jeju mandarin industry. It’s going to be an opportunity to think about the future of the Jeju mandarin as competition with China and Japan increases.

Joseph Kim KCTV