Gyeongbuk Province Selected Most Nationwide in Insect Industry Development Support Public Project

(Photo by Gyeongsangbuk-do)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Young-wook] Gyeongsangbuk-do announced on the 12th that it has achieved the great feat of being simultaneously selected in two categories (Insect Industry Support, Insect Distribution Business Support) of the 2021 Insect Industry Promotion Support Contest hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the highest number nationwide.

This contest project was finally selected after nationwide local governments applied in September, followed by on-site inspections and presentation evaluations. Gyeongbuk Province secured a total project cost of 1.24 billion KRW (420 million KRW national funds, 820 million KRW local funds) to support the establishment of the insect industry foundation and the revitalization of the distribution sector.

The selected project details are the Insect Industrialization Support Project (1 billion KRW) and the Insect Distribution Business Support Project (240 million KRW).

Gyeongbuk Province planned from the establishment of the project plan for the two fields to be interconnected. With the simultaneous selection of this contest project, it is expected to maximize synergy effects by comprehensively promoting mass production of insect raw materials, establishment of preprocessing and processing systems, necessary R&D, quality control systems, promotion, and marketing.

Also, from a farm-centered industrial structure where the standard farms are responsible for production-processing-distribution, farms will handle production, the province will handle preprocessing and primary processing, and companies will share product development and distribution.

Gyeongbuk Province has been continuously fostering insects as an "alternative protein source" as a solution to the food security crisis caused by the global population increase and the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim Jong-su, Director of the Agriculture, Livestock and Distribution Bureau of Gyeongsangbuk-do, said, "The insect industry in Gyeongsangbuk-do has steadily grown centered on edible insects, and insects are rapidly emerging as an alternative protein source to respond to the food security crisis after COVID-19," adding, "The selection in this contest project will be an opportunity for Gyeongsangbuk-do to take a step forward as a core hub of the edible insect industry."

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