A restocked produce section at the commissary on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 18, 2024. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Produce at U.S. bases in South Korea was temporarily in short supply as the Defense Commissary Agency began replacing U.S. imports of certain fruits and vegetables with their locally grown counterparts.

Commissaries plan this month to start stocking “the highest quality” local fruits and vegetables that are “consistent with what is available in commercial grocery stores,” U.S. Army Garrison Daegu announced in a Facebook post Oct. 29.

These include apples, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, radishes, pumpkins, kale, leeks, green onions, tomatoes, pomegranates, persimmons, citrus and grapes from the United States, along with squash from Mexico, DeCA spokesman Keith Desbois said by email Friday.

“This is less about changing regulations and more about how commissaries are working through a fluid supply chain to ensure our patrons in Korea get the best products available when they shop,” he said.

Changes to the supply chain are ongoing and “there is no time stamp” on when they will be finalized, Desbois said.

“DeCA continues to assess its options in order to make a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available to commissary patrons in South Korea,” he said.

The agency does not anticipate price hikes on its commissary produce, except for seasonal items affecting all grocery stores, Desbois added.

Bananas were available at the commissary on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Nov. 18, 2024. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)

The refrigerated produce section at Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas, had several empty tables Nov. 5 that once held strawberries, celery, cucumbers, peppers and bananas.

One shopper said she was “not impressed” by the dearth of produce.

“Cucumbers would be nice, and they’ve been out of stock for a while,” Cara Lejeune, an Army spouse with three children, said at the commissary Nov. 5.

Lejeune said she prefers shopping at the Humphreys commissary due to the short driving distance and the limited parking available at off-base stores.

Army Cpl. Khyana Lauriston, a small arms repairer attached to the 2nd Infantry Division, said shopping at the commissary has been a pleasant experience since she arrived at Humphreys a month ago.

“It’s missing a few things, but other than that, it’s not that bad,” she said Nov. 5.

Produce that was previously out of stock was seen again at the commissary Monday. Dozens of bananas imported from Vietnam by U.S.-based Del Monte Foods appeared on tables that were empty roughly a week earlier.

Army spouse Imani Lindsey said she was thankful the commissary was restocked in time for her to prepare for a Thanksgiving Day meal for family and friends.

“I know that around this time a lot of stuff goes out of stock very quickly,” she said at the commissary Monday. “Today, I’ve seen a lot more stuff, like the collard greens and bell peppers.”