Gokseong-gun Holds Opening Ceremony for Okgwa Nonghyup Local Food Direct Store

Expecting to Provide Fresh Produce to Consumers and Fair Market Access to Small Farmers

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The local food direct store in Gokseong-gun, located inside the Ok-gwa Nonghyup Hanaro Mart, officially opened on the 19th, about seven months after beginning operations.

The Ok-gwa Nonghyup local food direct store started operating at the end of November last year. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, an opening ceremony could not be held. As a result, many residents were unaware that the local food direct store had been established. Fortunately, with the easing of social distancing measures to everyday distancing, the opening ceremony was able to take place this time.

The Gokseong-gun authorities expect that the opening ceremony will widely promote the local food direct store, further activating a win-win platform for residents and farmers.

The Ok-gwa Nonghyup local food direct store, as its name suggests, is a direct transaction store where producers decide the prices and sell agricultural products freshly harvested in the morning. About 120 farms participate, handling over 170 different items including agricultural products, processed goods, and livestock products.

A farmer participating in the local food program expressed, “It is a great opportunity to secure a stable sales channel for agricultural products and sell fresh produce without middle distribution margins,” sharing their thoughts on the opening.

A Gokseong-gun official stated, “We will continue to expand the local food direct store to provide sales channels for small and medium-sized farmers.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.