Gangjin-gun's 'Premium Praise' High-Quality Brand Rice Wins 'Grand Prize'

Published 09 Aug.2021 11:16(KST)

Jeonnam 10-Dae Brand Rice Evaluation, Awarded for 16 Consecutive Years

At the 2021 Jeonnam Top 10 High-Quality Brand Rice Awards held at the Seojaepil Room of Jeonnam Provincial Office, Gangjin-gun's 'Premium Hopyeong' received the grand prize. / ⓒ Asia Economy

[Gangjin＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] Gangjin County, Jeollanam-do, announced on the 9th that its ‘Premium Hopyeong’ rice secured the grand prize and a 25 million KRW incentive at the 2021 Jeonnam Top 10 High-Quality Brand Rice Awards hosted by Jeonnam Province.

The prize money will be used for quality improvement, packaging design and material enhancement, and promotional activities to upscale rice quality. The selected brand rice will also receive support for joint marketing with major distribution companies.

‘Premium Hopyeong’ is characterized by a chewy texture and savory taste preferred most by Koreans, made from over 96% flawless, perfect rice grains after removing damaged grains, colored grains, broken grains, and foreign substances using the latest milling facilities.

Additionally, it uses seeds produced at the Jeonnam Agricultural Research & Extension Services seed production field, which maintains purity at the level of government-supplied seeds. After purchase and drying at the Gangjin County Nonghyup Integrated RPC, the rice is separately stored in a low-temperature warehouse to maintain the best grain quality.

Gangjin County produces ‘Premium Hopyeong’ and ‘Tamjingang Chaljin Rice Saechungmu’ using Saechungmu rice, which has good grain quality and strong resistance to lodging and pests, fostering them as representative brand rice of Gangjin. Through cooperative projects with Nonghyup, they provide a production incentive of 2,000 KRW per 40kg bag, focusing all efforts on increasing farmers’ income and enhancing external competitiveness through varietal unification.

County Governor Lee Seung-ok said, “I am pleased that ‘Premium Hopyeong,’ created with science and sincerity in a blessed environment, received the grand prize for high-quality brand rice,” adding, “We will not be satisfied with this award and will do our best in quality management with a heavy sense of duty to uphold the honor and pride of Korean rice.”