Dak Lak’s First Shipment of Macadamia Nuts to South Korea: A Breakthrough in Expanding Quality Agricultural Exports

DNHN - According to Ms Nguyen Thi Trang - Director of Nutri Soil Import-Export JSC, Dak Lak, the export to the South Korean market opens a new period for the company’s development, contributing to the development of the province’s macadamia industry.

On 3rd January, in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak province, Nutri Soil Import-Export Joint Stock Company held a ceremony to export the first container of Dak Lak macadamia nuts to the South Korean market. This is the province’s first agricultural export shipment in 2024, marking an important step forward in expanding the export market.

This officially exported batch of macadamia nuts weighs over 10 tons and is grown in Dak Lak province. The products have gone through multiple inspections for pests, food safety, packaging specifications, and traceability by professional agencies.

Dak Lak, with its suitable soil and climate, is a locality that develops macadamia trees. The General Department of Forestry has piloted macadamia cultivation since 2003 in two communes of Phu Loc and Dlie Ya, Krong Nang district, with an area of about 4 hectares. To date, there are over 4,500 hectares of macadamia trees planted throughout the province, with an output of over 1,500 tons per year. Expanding the macadamia export market overseas is the right direction, helping increase income and improve people’s livelihoods, while contributing to the socio-economic development of Dak Lak.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Huynh Ngoc Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Dak Lak province, said that the official export of macadamia to the South Korean market opens up new opportunities for this product in the Asian and global markets.

The South Korean market is considered a potential market for agricultural products, and the importing unit from South Korea is a business in Jeollabuk province, which has established a cooperative relationship with Dak Lak since 2017.

According to Ms Nguyen Thi Trang, Director of Nutri Soil Import-Export Joint Stock Company, Dak Lak is known as a region with abundant land and an ideal climate for the development of macadamia trees. Expanding the macadamia export market overseas not only creates motivation to boost local macadamia development but also contributes to improving the income and socio-economic development of the province. Exporting to the South Korean market is seen as a new opportunity for the company’s development in the coming time.

Ms Trang also shared that the process of signing contracts to export macadamia nuts to foreign markets, especially the South Korean and Japanese markets, all pose strict and detailed requirements. The importing partners pay special attention to conditions such as product sub-labels, cartons, product materials such as PET jars, product opening tools, and moisture-proof packages that require food safety certificates. The procedure for issuing certificates of origin is also complicated with technical parameters that demand high accuracy. In addition, at present, when most businesses are striving to produce and distribute goods to meet the increasing demand during the Lunar New Year, facing language barriers, differences in consumer habits, and partners’ requirements for compliance with food safety regulations in South Korea creates significant difficulties in trading and purchasing between small and medium-sized enterprises and international partners.

This event is not only an important step forward in the relationship between the two localities but also a motivation for Dak Lak’s export turnover in 2024 to reach over 1.6 billion USD, especially in a “demanding” market like South Korea.

Binh Anh