Sunchang-gun Plans to Establish ICT-Integrated Smart Farm Greenhouse

By the End of the Year, 3 Billion KRW Invested to Create 9 Buildings, Youth Farmers to Lease

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Sunchang Lee Sang-jin] Sunchang-gun, Jeonbuk, is creating a smart farm greenhouse to provide local young farmers with the opportunity to experience farm management.

On the 24th, the county announced that it will invest 3 billion KRW in the Geumgwa-myeon Maeryu-ri area to complete a total of 9 greenhouses by the end of this year, including 6 smart farm greenhouses (3,100 pyeong) and 3 general greenhouses (1,800 pyeong).

After completion, the county plans to lease the greenhouses to young farmers aged 18 to under 40 within the region.

To establish the smart farm, the county signed a consignment agreement with the Korea Rural Community Corporation Sunchang branch in December last year and completed the detailed design.

Construction will officially begin in July and is expected to be completed as early as November.

A smart farm refers to a farm that integrates information and communication technology (ICT) into agriculture, allowing remote cultivation of crops, fruits, and livestock.

It automatically controls temperature, humidity, sunlight, and heating/cooling to suit optimal growth conditions, cultivating crops in the best environment, resulting in excellent yields.

More than the excellence of the yield, the biggest reason smart farms are rapidly spreading in farming areas is their convenience and labor-saving benefits.

The county stated that smart farms are considered another alternative to solve labor shortages in farming sites, which are rapidly aging and facing workforce shortages.

Also, since initial investment costs such as land purchase are considerable, it is not easy for young farmers to settle stably; leasing smart farms, which require high costs, is expected to significantly reduce their economic burden.

Furthermore, smart technology can compensate for the lack of farming experience among novice young farmers, offering the advantage of satisfactory crop harvest results.

A county official said, "As agriculture and smart technology gradually develop together, agriculture can be spotlighted as a new startup market for the younger generation."

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