Jeju Island to increase its support for limited green tangerines

A picture of Jeju green tangerines. Courtesy of Jeju Island

Jeju Island will increase its support for “Putggyu,” limited green tangerines that can only be sold and tasted in summer.

Jeju Island announced on August 15 that it would invest 231.5 million won this year, a 17 percent increase from last year, to foster green tangerines, including additional support for logistics costs.

The increase in support for green tangerines is aimed at diversifying the distribution of tangerines, which is mainly shipped in winter, to summer and helping farmers generate seasonal income. Consumers' preference for green tangerines with a sour taste and functional ingredients is also high.

Green tangerines are unripe tangerines that are still dark green in color and contain different antioxidants from ripe, mature ones. According to a study by the Rural Development Administration, green tangerines contain three times more citric acid than ripe ones, and their flavonoid content is also higher, making them excellent for fatigue relief and antioxidant effects.

Jeju Island ships green tangerines every year during a period when their functional ingredients are the highest. This year, they are available as a “special limited edition” only from August 1 to September 15. If green tangerines are shipped after the designated period, they are considered the distribution of non-commodity tangerines and a fine of up to 10 million won will be imposed.

Even before they were officially allowed for distribution, green tangerines were secretly traded under the name of “Cheonggyul,” which also refers to green tangerines. Recipes using them as ade and tea have also spread online. Jeju Island has allowed the trade of Putggyu that it banned since 2016, after amending its ordinance to make it safer and more institutionalized.

The island has not only allowed the distribution of Putggyu, but has also been actively promoting the industry, expanding its support every year.

To ensure the systematic distribution of green tangerines, Jeju Island receives applications every year, designates green tangerine shipping farms and requires them to complete orchard management training. This year, 282 farms were designated as green tangerine shipping farms. In order to distribute green tangerines, they must undergo mandatory pesticide safety inspections. Jeju provides up to 540,000 won per a designated green tangerine shipping farm for the inspection and up to 2 million won for shipping delivery costs.

In particular, this year, a proposal to support logistics costs of 50 won per kilogram and up to 1 million won for farms that supply green tangerines to processing companies outside the island was newly introduced. Farmers will also receive special packaging boxes for green tangerines.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.