Jeonnam Province Pledges 100% Domestic Rice Production... Declaration of Seed Sovereignty Independence

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 8th that, together with the Nonghyup Jeonnam Regional Headquarters, it declared the independence of Jeonnam rice seed sovereignty and pledged 100% localization through the production of high-quality rice.

The event held in the fields of Eomda-myeon, Hampyeong-gun, was attended by Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province; Lee Gae-ho, Member of the National Assembly; Lee Sang-ik, Mayor of Hampyeong-gun; Kim Hyung-mo, Chairman of Hampyeong County Council; Park Seo-hong, Head of Nonghyup Jeonnam Regional Headquarters; Park Hong-jae, Director of Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services; Jang Seung-young and Go Pyeong-hoon, Directors of the Nonghyup Central Association; Kim Ok-ju, Head of Nonghyup Grain Department; representatives from the Gwangju Jeonnam RPC Council and agricultural organizations.

This event was held to open the era of seed sovereignty for domestic varieties by expanding domestic rice varieties to enhance the status of Jeonnam and delivering a public message about the importance of agriculture and the value of rice.

The attendees pledged through the "Declaration of Seed Sovereignty Independence" read by Director Park Hong-jae, stating, "Let us eliminate foreign varieties in the Republic of Korea, produce high-quality Jeonnam rice suitable for our soil and climate, secure seed sovereignty, and protect food security for all citizens including farmers."

Currently, the rice cultivation area in Jeonnam is 156,000 hectares, cultivating over 100 varieties.

Foreign varieties such as Hitomebore and Koshihikari occupy 2,195 hectares, accounting for 1.4% of Jeonnam's rice cultivation area.

Despite being a traditional major rice-producing region, Jeonnam rice has not been able to receive its proper value due to the lack of representative varieties and brands.

Since 2008, the province has started a rice variety breeding project and promoted the image improvement and premium branding of Saechungmu, registered as a variety in 2018.

As a result, satisfactory outcomes have been achieved for consumers, farmers, and RPCs alike. Consumers appreciate the taste, RPCs recognize quality and milling yield, and farmers acknowledge yield and cultivation stability, leading to nationwide preference.

The cultivation area of Saechungmu in Jeonnam is expected to increase from 10,000 hectares in 2019 to 80,000 hectares this year.

It has firmly established itself as the representative variety of Jeonnam, playing a significant role in reducing foreign varieties.

The event also attracted attention by showcasing demonstrations of smart autonomous rice transplanting and intelligent drone pest control systems to expand digital agriculture.

Governor Kim Young-rok said, "We will completely replace foreign rice varieties with Saechungmu rice by 2028 and establish rice seed sovereignty," adding, "We will spare no effort or support in developing and distributing new varieties."

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