Groundbreaking Ceremony for Core Facilities of Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley Held

Published 02 Dec.2021 14:03(KST)

Youth Incubation Greenhouse, Rental Smart Farm, Demonstration Greenhouse, Innovation Valley Support Center

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Core Facilities of Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley Held

[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo] On the 2nd, Jeonnam Goheung-gun (Governor Song Gwi-geun) announced that on the 1st, a groundbreaking ceremony for the 'Jeonnam Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley Core Facility' was held at the site of the Smart Farm Innovation Valley construction.

After starting the foundation work in September last year and subsequently beginning construction of the main core facilities one by one, the groundbreaking ceremony schedule was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 social distancing measures. However, in line with the phased recovery of daily life, the ceremony was held to wish for smooth construction progress and a zero-accident, zero-injury project.

The Smart Farm Innovation Valley is a type of industrial complex established as a hub for the spread of 'Smart Farms' after the government selected 'Smart Farm' as a leading innovation growth project in November 2017.

The government planned to establish four Smart Farm Innovation Valleys nationwide by 2022. Goheung, Jeonnam was selected as a site in March 2019, and in May of the same year, Jeollanam-do, Goheung-gun, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation Jeonnam Regional Headquarters signed a comprehensive consignment agreement for the construction. They are developing an Innovation Valley with a total project cost of 110 billion KRW.

The main core facilities include a youth nurturing greenhouse specialized in smart farm education from basic crop cultivation theory to management practice; a rental-type greenhouse to provide young people who have completed a 20-month long-term education and are challenging smart farm entrepreneurship with stable settlement and opportunities to improve cultivation and management capabilities; a demonstration greenhouse for research and development and verification by smart farm-related research institutes and companies; and an Innovation Valley Support Center to support the operation of the Smart Farm Innovation Valley.

The Jeonnam Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley aims for completion in the first half of next year.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the core facilities, local residents including provincial council members, county council members, and Goheung farmers' organizations who actively supported and cooperated in attracting the Smart Farm Innovation Valley attended to directly observe the construction progress.

Song Gwi-geun, Governor of Goheung-gun, said, "The attraction of the Smart Farm Innovation Valley was possible thanks to the full support of 23 agricultural-related organizations in Goheung-gun and 24 institutional social organizations, and I am grateful for the active cooperation of local residents."

He also stated, "With the spread of ICT-converged smart farms, about a 25% increase in actual farm income is expected through reduced management costs, increased production, and improved quality," and announced plans to create a smart farm horticultural complex with local resident participation centered on the Innovation Valley and to expand smart agriculture in existing facilities.