전복값이 전복됐다…전국 1위 산지의 위기[목포MBC 뉴스데스크]

[Mokpo MBC News] ◀ Anchor ▶ The Wando abalone industry, which accounts for over 70% of the nation's total abalone production, is facing difficulties due to falling prices and sluggish consumption. As a vicious cycle continues where prices drop the more abalone are raised, there are growing calls for an urgent fundamental overhaul of the entire industry. Reporter Moon Yeon-cheol reports. ◀ Report ▶ This is the sea off Wando. Abalone cage farms stretch endlessly across the blue ocean. While this demonstrates the status of the nation's largest abalone production area, the fishermen's expressions are not bright. This is because while feed and labor costs have risen significantly, abalone prices at the production site have failed to escape a downward trend for several years. ◀ INT ▶ Han Seung-nam, Abalone Farmer “We are shipping out [the abalone], but we have no choice but to mention [farming] costs. The reality is that we are not even making a profit on the unit price for stocking [young abalone].” (cg) Currently, the production price for 1 kilogram of abalone (based on 10 pieces) ranges from 15,000 to 17,000 won. This is less than half the price compared to 3 or 4 years ago. Although Wando accounts for over 70% of the national production, oversupply is intensifying as consumption and exports are failing to keep up with the increased production volume. In particular, downward pressure on prices is growing as shipments surge ahead of the high summer temperatures. ◀ INT ▶ Kim Shin, Mayor of Wando County “In particular, as production prices have fallen below production costs, the worries of fishermen are deepening. The slowdown in consumption due to the overall economic downturn and the export structure heavily concentrated on specific countries are also exacerbating these difficulties.” Limitations in the distribution structure are also being pointed out as a problem. The high proportion of distribution centered on live abalone makes the industry vulnerable to price fluctuations, and the ability to regulate supply at the production site is also weak. Wando County plans to first induce short-term price stability through government procurement and stockpiling, and to push for a reduction in the area of ​​abalone cage farming. ◀ INT ▶ Kim Shin, Mayor of Wando County “To overcome the structural limitations of distribution being dominated by live abalone, we intend to establish a large-scale abalone processing complex and develop various convenient foods that meet the latest consumer trends to dramatically increase the added value of the industry.” Experts point out that alongside short-term supply and demand adjustments, long-term improvements to the industry's fundamental structure—such as developing processed foods, diversifying export markets, and improving the distribution structure—must be pursued in parallel. The strength of being the nation's largest production site is now turning into a burden of oversupply for the Wando abalone industry. It appears urgent to shift away from a farming method focused on 'more' and transition to a structure that produces 'better' and sells 'wider'. This is Moon Yeon-cheol for MBC News. ◀ END ▶