South Korea's agricultural ministry said Thursday it will send chartered flights to Singapore to support exports of strawberries, as local farmers have been facing troubles in shipping their produce amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the plan, South Korea plans to send Korean Air Lines Co.'s planes weekly through April to promote the exports of strawberries, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The move came as the COVID-19 pandemic has virtually suspended global air travel, hindering outbound shipments of fresh produce reports en.yna.co.kr
The first batch of strawberries will be sent Friday, with a goal of sending 1,072 tons of the product over the next five months.
Singapore is the second-largest export destination of strawberries for South Korea. In 2019, the country shipped 1,421 tons of berries worth US$13.7 million, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.
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