(Photo: Yonhap News)
Local strawberry farmers facing difficulties amid the pandemic are getting help from the government with shipping their goods overseas.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Wednesday that it has operated over 80 chartered flights to deliver Korean-grown strawberries to Singapore since last December.
As of end-April, a total of 958 tons of the fruit, valued at 15.2 million dollars, were flown to the Southeast Asian country.
South Korean exporters have been suffering from tight shipping services coupled with escalating freight costs brought on by the global spread of COVID-19.
Singapore is the second-largest export destination of strawberries for South Korea.
In 2019, the country shipped 1,421 tons of berries worth 13.7 million dollars, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation.
The government said it seeks to penetrate deeper into other Asian markets, including Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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