Gyeonggi-do Invests 465 Million Won to Revitalize Native Agricultural Products

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will invest 410 million KRW in a native agricultural products revitalization project.

The Gyeonggi Seed Management Office announced on the 18th that it will carry out the "Native Agricultural Products Revitalization Project" year-round to protect native agricultural products and promote and educate about native seeds. The main projects include ▲ Establishing a foundation for revitalizing native agricultural products ▲ Building a production and supply system for native seeds ▲ Distribution of native seeds.

The province will first invest 300 million KRW in six native agricultural product production, distribution, and processing facilities, and 110 million KRW in promotional projects such as regional education and experience centers, exhibitions, and evaluations, totaling 410 million KRW for establishing a foundation for revitalizing native agricultural products.

Additionally, 30 million KRW will be invested in the propagation and purchase project of major native crops at ten native garden preservation farms, and 25 million KRW in native seed collection and discovery projects, totaling 55 million KRW for building a native seed production and supply system.

In particular, a native seed distribution project will be conducted to provide opportunities for farms and organizations wishing to cultivate native seeds within the province to directly produce native seeds.

The supply quantity includes 20 types of seeds from five crops such as barley rice and black gram.

The Seed Management Office will also prepare hands-on garden field experience education and native seed bank tour programs to inform children and adolescents about the importance and necessity of protecting native seeds.

Song Tae-seong, head of the Seed Management Office, said, "In addition to the native seed preservation activities we have been conducting, we will strive to take the lead in revitalizing native agricultural product production and cultivation by actively promoting the importance and diversity of native seeds and agricultural products."

The Seed Management Office opened a native seed bank in November 2019 to protect native agricultural product resources, and has collected over 3,500 seeds from 19 cities and counties in the province, preserving about 2,200 of them to date.

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