Gokseong-gun Holds Consulting for Establishing Blueberry Joint Shipping System

Budget of 500 Million Won Allocated for Early Cultivation, Total of 6 Detailed Projects Underway

[Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun] Jeonnam Gokseong-gun (Governor Yoo Geun-gi) announced that on February 10th, a field consulting session on the operation of the joint sorting center was conducted at the Gokseong Nonghyup APC by inviting experts to establish a successful blueberry joint shipping system.

This field consulting was carried out to secure the execution capability of joint shipping, with about 10 participants including executives of the blueberry joint sorting association, Nonghyup officials, and responsible public officers.

The consulting was conducted by officials from other cities and counties currently operating blueberry joint sorting associations and Researcher Lim Byung-seon from the Jeonnam Horticultural Special Crops Science Institute, providing education on blueberry cold storage distribution technology, structural improvements of the Gokseong Nonghyup APC sorting center, and measures to supplement pre-cooling facilities.

Meanwhile, Gokseong-gun has expanded early blueberry cultivation to generate high income by supporting heating devices and multi-layer thermal curtains, increasing the early cultivation area to 6.4 hectares as of 2021 (ranking third nationwide among major early cultivation areas). This year, a budget of 500 million KRW has been allocated for early cultivation-related projects, with a total of six detailed projects underway.

However, since the majority of farmers still ship individually, the need for joint shipping to ensure stable long-term distribution and quality maintenance has been continuously raised.

Accordingly, in 2021, Gokseong-gun completed the recruitment of joint sorting members and the establishment of joint sorting association regulations through consultations among farmers' organizations, Nonghyup, and administration. In 2022, the election of executives and the establishment of shipping agreements were completed, followed by the consulting session.

An official from the county stated, "Through this field consulting, we plan to renovate the currently operated pre-cooling facilities to contribute to the improvement of blueberry quality in Gokseong-gun. In mid-March, we will hold the launch ceremony of the blueberry joint sorting association and sign an MOU between farmers' organizations and Nonghyup. Full-scale joint sorting will begin in early April when the first blueberries are harvested."

Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun cha6960@asiae.co.kr

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