The Rural Development Administration (RDA) will hold an on-site evaluation meeting on December 16 in Seogwipo, ahead of the full-scale shipment of the citrus variety ‘Miraehyang’, developed with Korean technology. The meeting will involve farmers, distributors, and citrus experts to assess the quality characteristics, cultivation stability, and marketability of ‘Miraehyang’ and gather opinions from stakeholders.
‘Miraehyang’ is expected to be popular among consumers due to its deep orange skin, rich juice, and soft texture. It has a sweetness level of 12 Brix and an acidity of 1.1%. Additionally, the tree has no thorns, enhancing safety and convenience during work. The yield is also 15-20% higher than the existing popular variety ‘Hwanggeumhyang’.
As of 2025, ‘Miraehyang’ is being cultivated on 32.7 hectares, with approximately 30 tons expected to be produced and shipped this year. The RDA plans to gradually supply the market after confirming the quality and marketability of ‘Miraehyang’ through this evaluation meeting. The variety has received positive evaluations for its stable growth, yield, and ease of management in trial cultivation, raising high expectations for its official shipment.
Ahn Hyun-joo, head of the Citrus Research Center at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, said, ‘Miraehyang, which has various advantages such as color, taste, and yield, is receiving high expectations from the field ahead of its market release.’ She added, ‘We will reflect the opinions from the cultivation and distribution fields to establish a distribution base and enhance the competitiveness of domestically developed citrus.’