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Dubai – Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT Center) hosted a business-to-business (B2B) exhibition focusing on Korean ginseng products from prominent Korean food product suppliers in Dubai to highlight its herbal value. Korea exported approximately $300 million worth of agricultural and seafood products to the UAE and the aT Centre expects to double that value in the next five years.
The exhibitors at the event included five major Korean ginseng product suppliers: Organic Love Company, Jecheon Ginseng Herb, Green Company, Nonghyup Hansamin, and Korean Ginseng Corporation. The companies met with over 100 healthcare industry officials to discuss the herbal benefits of ginseng, such as improved immunity and its role in reducing cancer and COVID risks and explore the integration of ginseng products in the UAE healthcare sector.
Commenting on his expectations for the UAE and the Middle East market, Mr Hyouk Kim, Head of aT Centre Dubai, said, “Our mission in the UAE is to promote Korean agricultural products and boost exports. We are new to the UAE and the Middle East in general. Dubai is an important destination for us. If we can succeed in Dubai, we can succeed anywhere in the Middle East. Thus, we are keen to make our mark here and demonstrate to consumers the unique and superior quality of Korean agricultural products.”
Further, speaking about the market outlook for ginseng in the UAE, he added, “Ginseng is relatively a niche product in the UAE and was only imported here for the first-time last year. However, we can see the growing interest in Korean culture due to the popularity of cultural exports from Korea such as K-Dramas and K-Pop. This has led to greater interest in Korean ginseng products as well.”
The export of ginseng products worldwide from Korea was valued at $200 million and aT Centre has announced plans to significantly invest in promoting and distributing Korean ginseng products. Currently, ginseng products are available in 690 pharmacies across the UAE.
The event also featured an informative presentation on ginseng and its properties by Dr. Kwang - Tae Choi, former president of the Korean Society of Ginseng. “We want to educate consumers about the positive outcomes of consuming ginseng and raise awareness among healthcare professionals regarding the immense benefits provided by ginseng,” he said.
According to Dr. Choi, the many health benefits of ginseng include anti-fatigue, antioxidant properties, improved immune system, improved memory, and improved blood circulation. It also helps to rid the body of heavy metals, reduces radiation effects, helps fight cancer cells, improves sperm count, and regulates hormones.
Dr. Choi said, “In the post-pandemic world, people are more mindful of how they eat and what they eat. People are looking for healthy and hygienic foods, which is why ginseng has seen growing interest around the world in recent years. Furthermore, research suggests that people that consume ginseng regularly show and reduction in risk for cancer and COVID.”
aT Centre is a corporation owned by the Korean government, responsible for agricultural marketing services and international trade for Korea around the world. It supports the Korean agricultural industry through marketing activities and serves the role of an export agent for small and medium-sized Korean Agri processors. They also provide technical support for regional clients to import food products from Korea. aT Centre operates nine offices outside Korea, including in Dubai.
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About aT Center
Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp. (aT Center) is a wholly government-invested enterprise responsible for agricultural marketing services and international trade since its incorporation in 1967. a-T Centre provides support services for the Korean agricultural industry through marketing activities and undertaking export agent functions for large number of small and medium size agro-processors.
aT Center also provides various agricultural trade information to domestic exporters and foreign buyers. To support overseas market development, aT Center operates offices (Overseas Agro-Trade Center) in Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Chengdu, Dalian, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, Dubai, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Osaka and Vladivostok. Web: http://www.at.or.kr
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Pradyuth Ramkishore
Watermelon Communications
Dubai, U.A.E.
Email: pradyuth@watermelonme.com