Haenam Sweet Potato Developed as a Rural Convergence Industry Zone

Selected for Rural Convergence Industry Zone Creation Contest, Developing Sweet Potato Specialized Industry Hub

Harvesting Haenam sweet potatoes. (Photo by Haenam County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 19th that it has secured 3 billion KRW in project funds after being selected for the 2021 Rural Convergence Industry District Development Project contest hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Rural Convergence Industry District Development Project designates regions where primary, secondary, and tertiary industries such as agricultural production, manufacturing/processing, and experience/tourism are concentrated as districts, and promotes them as converged regional specialized industry clusters. After document screening and on-site evaluation, four locations nationwide were selected.

Haenam-gun will invest 3 billion KRW by 2024 to support the establishment of low-temperature storage and processing facilities for sweet potatoes, development of a joint brand, product marketing, and development of experience and tourism programs.

Earlier, on the 14th, County Governor Myeong Hyeon-gwan visited Minister Kim Hyun-soo of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, explained the necessity of the project, and actively requested national funding support, which led to the selection in the contest.

Haenam is the largest sweet potato production area in Jeollanam-do, producing about 34,000 tons annually from over 600 farms and 1,964 hectares of cultivation area, accounting for 10% of the national cultivation area. The sales of manufacturing and processing companies producing sweet potato dried slices and sweet potato bread have steadily grown to reach 15.5 billion KRW annually.

Haenam sweet potatoes, grown on loess soil rich in germanium and exposed to sea breeze, have high sugar content, abundant dietary fiber and minerals, and are registered as Geographical Indication Agricultural Product No. 42, recognized for their quality.

County Governor Myeong Hyeon-gwan said, “This contest selection recognizes the excellence of Haenam sweet potatoes and their potential to develop as a specialized industry. We expect this project to serve as a catalyst to maintain the status of Haenam sweet potatoes, and we will continue to do our best to foster the sweet potato industry in the future.”

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