South Korea's imports of fresh fruits hit a record high last year, data showed Sunday, amid poor harvests caused by climate change and rising demand.
The country's imports of 12 kinds of fresh fruits came to $1.45 billion in 2024, up 20.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Rural Economic Institute.
It marked the largest amount ever, with the previous record set in 2018, when the inbound shipment of fruits came to $1.33 billion.
The 12 kinds of fruits include bananas, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, cherries and kiwis.
The growth in imports came as the country experienced a supply shortage of fruits due to poor harvests amid unfavorable weather conditions, leading to high fruit prices.
The government has also reduced tariffs on fruit imports to meet increasing demand and rein in inflation.
"Imports of fruits are projected to rise further, as domestic production of fruits will trend downward in the long run given weather conditions and the constant fall in their cultivation area," a KREI official said.
In a latest report, the institute expected total imports of fruits, including frozen fruits, to climb 6.8 percent on-year to 817,000 tons this year. (Yonhap)
