[Courtesy of Seogwipo City]
Jeju Gamgyul is a kind of mandarin oranges that are harvested between October and January when it is green to be ripened at room temperature. When picked too early, Gamgyul maintains its very sour taste. Jeju prohibits the distribution of Gamgyul with less than eight degrees Brix. Degrees Brix represents how sweet an aqueous solution is. One degree Brix is one gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution. Farmerers must apply for a state sweetness test before shipping Gamgyul.
Seogwipo, a Gamgyul farming area in southern Jeju, said in a statement on September 21 that a retailer was caught for trying to distribute unripe citrus by using drones and human inspectors. "We will make all our effort to prevent bad products from being distributed in the market," a Seogwipo official was quoted as saying.
Seogwipo launched a crackdown using drones on October 10. If a drone spots a farm that is harvesting Gamgyul too early, human inspectors are dispatched. Drones are widely used for various purposes. Lifesavers use drones to locate stranded people, while state inspectors check the structural durability of buildings with limited accessibility such as chimneys of thermal power plants and antenna towers atop of high-rise buildings.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
