South Korea’s exports of farm and agricultural products grew significantly from a year earlier last month on growing shipments to Japan and China, the government said Monday.

Outbound shipments of agricultural goods came to $512.4 million in September, up 13.9 percent from the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The increase was largely attributed to a rise in shipments to Japan and China, the world’s two single largest importers of South Korean foodstuffs, in that order.

Exports to Japan gained 4.4 percent on-year to $102.2 million in September with shipments to China surging 22.5 percent to $99.3 million, according to the ministry.

Shipments to the United States also spiked 24.7 percent to $49.9 million while shipments to the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations slipped 6.1 percent to $74.3 million.

By product, outbound shipments of fresh foodstuffs, such as vegetables and fresh meat, dropped 8.5 percent on-year to $83.9 million while those of processed goods, such as canned food and tobacco, spiked 19.6 percent to $428.5 million. (Yonhap)