LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Some Korean investors are planning to put up a kimchi factory in this capital town that will help boost the robust growth of the local vegetable industry considering that the ingredients of one of the favourite international dishes come not only from the province but also from vegetable-producing areas in the region.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda said that the Korean investors have been looking for a 3,000-hectare land near a highway that is suitable for the proposed kimchi factory but it sees they were not able to locate the said land area, thus, the area had been reduced.
He added that the local government is extending the appropriate assistance to the Korean investors in locating the suitable land for the proposed kimchi factory so that the plan will be realized the soonest which could be an added market for local vegetable growers.
“We were able to identify some public and private properties in the municipality which might be suitable for the proposed kimchi factory but most of them were not able to pass the standards of the Korean investors that is why we continue to look for other areas that will be offered to them for the realization of their desired project that will contribute in spurring the significant increase of economic activities in the municipality,” Mayor Salda stressed.
The local chief executive claimed that the Korean investors are eager to already implement their planned kimchi factory but the tedious bureaucratic processesses of concerned government agencies and the local government seem to be one of the hindrances in the immediate completion of the project aside from the absence of a suitable land area where the kimchi factory will be established.
According to him, the identification of a suitable land area for the proposed kimchi factory might be easier this time because the Koreans already decided to reduce the land area that will be occupied by the structures that will be constructed that is why various sectors are now extending the needed support to the local government in locating the appropriate property for the purpose.
Kimchi, a staple in Korean cuisine, is a famous traditional side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage and Korean radishes, with a variety of seasonings, including chili powder, scallions, garlic, ginger, and salted seafood. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients. In the past, kimchi was traditionally stored underground in jars to keep cool during warm months, and remain unfrozen throughout the winter months, during which time it was a vital source of vegetables. With the rise of technology, kimchi refrigerators are more commonly used to store kimchi.
Salda expressed confidence that the kimchi factory project of interested Korean investors will be realized the soonest so that local vegetable producers will have a sustainable vegetable produce considering that the main ingredients of the said dish include the vegetables that are grown in the different parts of the region.
He claimed that the kimchi factory will contribute in generating additional jobs for qualified local residents who are in search for sustainable jobs that will contribute in improving the living condition of their families.
By HENT
