Uljin-gun HMR Association Wins 'Excellence Award' at Rural Development Administration Agricultural Convergence Industry Competition

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongwook Park] Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk announced on the 1st that 'Woorijin Plus Cooperative' recently won the Excellence Award (Director General Award) at the '2020 Rural Convergence Industry Best Practice Competition' hosted by the Rural Development Administration.

The Rural Development Administration's Rural Convergence Industry Best Practice Competition has been held annually since 2013 to evaluate and discover outstanding cases of convergence of primary to tertiary industries utilizing regional resources. This year, after the first document screening, the evaluation was conducted through a non-face-to-face online review. The excellence of processed products, sales strategies, business performance, and management capabilities were assessed.

'Woorijin Plus Cooperative' is an association organized as a processing community based at the Agricultural Product Processing Education Center of Uljin-gun Agricultural Technology Center in 2018. Currently, 16 cooperative members manufacture and sell processed products using agricultural products they directly cultivate.

In particular, targeting the HMR (Home Meal Replacement) market aimed at nuclear families and single-person households, they have commercialized a total of 28 products, including convenient products (meal kits) such as simplified soybean paste and Haebangpung bibimbap kits.

Kim Eun-sook, CEO of Woorijin Plus Cooperative, said, "Although we are still in the early stages and have shortcomings, we are grateful that the efforts of the cooperative members have been recognized," and pledged, "All cooperative members will do their best to become a manufacturing source that develops further to differentiate local agricultural specialties."

Jeon Eun-woo, director of Uljin-gun Agricultural Technology Center, stated, "Specific strategies and directions are needed for the development and self-reliance of cooperatives, such as developing package products at the Uljin-gun Agricultural Technology Center," and added, "We will support continuous capacity building, including a more stable production base."

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