Qihe Biotech Reports Another Victory in Global Expansion: Sales Double in South Korean Market, Achieving Breakthrough Growth

In September, Qihe Bio's overseas market delivered more good news. Thanks to continuously improving product quality and innovative, precise technical services, the company achieved breakthrough growth in South Korea, with monthly sales doubling year-on-year.

Winning Over Customers as Orders Surge In

The start of September saw a sharp increase in orders from South Korea, pushing various departments at Qihe Bio into high gear. The South Korean market team was busy processing orders, logistics was scheduling shipments, domestic factories were preparing and dispatching goods, and the Mushroom cultivation technical department was providing technical support – all working in close coordination.

In recent years, the South Korean market has seen an influx of more mushroom cultivation bag factories, intensifying competition. Against this backdrop, ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival peak season, Lu Xuejiao, Manager of the South Korean Market Department, felt the urgency in late July. "How do we seize the initiative and secure orders before customers even place them? This was the first question we needed to think about and solve," she said.

Driven by this awareness and insight, Lu Xuejiao proactively visited clients, showcasing recent mushroom yield results and profitability from Qihe logs, as well as breakthroughs in Qihe's strain R&D, all to build client recognition and confidence in the brand. After more than 50 days of busy work, the orders she secured led to a milestone breakthrough in consolidated factory shipments.

"Receiving an order doesn't mean the sales process is over; every salesperson acts as the client's representative," Lu noted. Ensuring she was worthy of the clients' trust became her core focus after securing orders. With unstable mushroom market conditions and high labor costs this year, and each client having different greenhouse facilities, techniques, and target end-markets, client demands became increasingly diverse. To meet these varied needs, Lu frequently organized online meetings with the Mushroom Log factory manager, the technical cultivation department head, and other relevant managers to provide tailored services for each client.

Customized Solutions and Precision Shipments

Yu Lei, Manager of the Wenchanghu Factory, was also the lead responsible for the recent shipments to South Korea. In the first half of this year, Yu visited South Korea twice to see clients and understand how Qihe logs performed in local specific conditions – from mycelial vitality and yield to mushroom quality – identifying challenges and different needs clients faced during cultivation management. This groundwork laid a solid foundation for the recent push.

"The biggest takeaway from the preliminary research was realizing that a 'one-size-fits-all' supply model could no longer meet diverse client needs," Yu said. After returning from South Korea, he led the formation of a technical team and innovatively proposed a strategy of "precisely matching clients based on different primordia levels." For instance, technical methods are used to control the number of primordia on the logs in advance, directing bags with different primordia levels to clients with corresponding needs.

This "customized, precision shipment" supply model significantly enhanced client satisfaction, leading to a scenario where demand for Qihe's mushroom logs outstripped supply in the South Korean market.

During this period, the South Korean market team actively gathered client feedback, collaborating with the bag factory and technical service department to make immediate improvements. They proactively and regularly updated South Korean clients on progress, sharing insights on recipe optimization, process refinement details, and precision matching plans. This transparent and open communication style filled clients with confidence about future cooperation.

Quality is Core, Innovation is Development

In response to clients' demands for higher mushroom quality, Qihe Bio's R&D team continuously optimized the bag formula ratios and cultivation processes. They established stricter operational procedures for temperature, humidity, light, ventilation management, and ventilation hole patterns and timing from the spawn run stage to the browning stage, gradually improving the yield and quality of Mushrooms from the logs and ensuring consistency and stability.

Strain development also saw continuous iteration and upgrading. In August this year, Qihe Bio's new strain, QH147, successfully entered the Japanese market, becoming the first foreign shiitake mushroom strain registered in Japan. During the review process, the auditing organization compared it with multiple varieties and ultimately recognized QH147 for its high yield, shorter cultivation cycle, good quality, and clear distinctiveness and promotion advantages.

The achievement of this differentiated competitive edge with QH147 fully demonstrates the mature application of Qihe Bio's capabilities in variety innovation and quality control technology, enabling precise development tailored to both domestic and international markets.

The breakthrough in the South Korean market represents another solid victory following the successful entry of the new QH147 strain into Japan in August. Amid a generally pessimistic global economic climate, Qihe Bio's global strategic layout remains steady and solid. To date, exports of mushroom cultivation bags have increased by 30% compared to the same period last year, achieving stable growth against the trend.

Moving forward, Qihe Bio will continue to adhere to its "Product + Service" approach, pioneering innovation, and steadily advancing the globalization of Chinese shiitake mushrooms.