Farmers and their children protest in front of the South Korean Embassy in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Liu Xin/GT

A female protester and two children, with banners saying "strongly protesting against South Korean government for hurting the interests of Chinese garlic farmers" and "I want to eat and go to school." Photo: Liu Xin/GT

Several children protesters gather in front of the South Korean Embassy. Photo: Liu Xin/GT

 
More than 10 farmers from Shandong Province staged a protest Tuesday in front of the South Korean Embassy in Beijing after Seoul recently rejected shipments of 2,200 tons of garlic.

They're demanding that South Korea pay them compensation for the 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) in lost income and fees from the rejected shipments.

Four companies had won a South Korean government bid for 3,000 tons of garlic in November 2014 but only one passed the inspection and the other three suppliers of the remaining 2,200 tons failed to meet official South Korean standards even after two inspections, according to a statement the South Korean importer, Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, e-mailed to the Global Times on February 4.

"It is vague to say our garlic failed to meet the South Korean quality standards especially after passing two inspections already, and it's unfair to return all the garlic, causing economic losses to more than 1,000 local farmers," Zhang Zeying, a representative of the farmers, told the Global Times.

"Most of the farmers are in debt and still have to pay for container fees," Zhang said.

Zhang said the farmers also brought their children to Beijing because the parents "can't leave their children at home to face the creditors."

But the South Korean importer said the inspections done prior to the shipments would have no influence on the final inspection and the contract clearly stated that "shipments will be returned if they are unable to meet the standards."

The importer blamed the agents at the three Chinese supplier companies for not "fully delivering the bidding information," the South Korean company said.

But Song Jiacai, the manager of one of the three supplier companies, told the Global Times that South Korea rejected the shipments because of a sufficient supply of garlic at home, "otherwise, why would they return all the garlic?"

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on January 7 that sufficient supply as a result of good weather at home saw prices of various vegetables in South Korea drop in 2014, with garlic sliding 13.7 percent.

The company has not responded to Song's question.

Zhang said the garlic they grow have been successfully exported to the US and the Netherlands.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) called for an appropriate solution to the dispute for the sake of healthy bilateral trade on February 4.

The Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea and Shandong authorities including the Department of Commerce of Shandong Province have been requested to assist in the negotiations and settlement, a statement posted on the MOFCOM website said.

The rejected cargo has been sent back to Shandong and the farmers are now trying to sell them at a discount in the local market, Zhang told the Global Times.