Gyeongbuk Province Distributes High-Quality Rice Seeds... Laying the Foundation for Premium Rice Production!

Agricultural Technology Center Completes Supply of 3,261 Tons of High-Quality Rice Seeds, Supports High-Quality Production Techniques by Season

The Gyeongbuk Agricultural Technology Institute is distributing high-quality rice seeds to produce premium Gyeongbuk rice.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] The Gyeongbuk Agricultural Technology Institute has distributed 3,261 tons of high-quality, pure, and highly productive premium rice seeds to farms across the region ahead of the main farming season to produce premium Gyeongbuk rice.

The rice seeds supplied this time by the Agricultural Technology Institute correspond to 65% of the seeds needed for the rice cultivation area in Gyeongbuk (958,000 hectares) and were fully supplied through local agricultural cooperatives by the end of last month from the Gyeongbuk branch of the National Seed Management Office.

By variety, the government-supplied seeds include 163 tons of early-maturing Haedap rice, 1,979 tons of mid-late maturing Ilpum rice, 736 tons of Samgwang rice, 109 tons of Yeonghojinmi, and 107 tons of Baekok glutinous rice, totaling 3,230 tons, along with 31 tons of high-quality seeds harvested by the Agricultural Technology Institute, Agricultural Resources Management Institute, and National Institute of Crop Science.

The 3,261 tons distributed to farms this year can renew 65,200 hectares of rice cultivation area in the province, producing 21,000 tons more rice compared to self-harvested seeds, while also improving quality, which is expected to increase farm income by 50.7 billion KRW.

According to an official from the Agricultural Technology Institute, “The seeds supplied this time were systematically produced and managed at the seed production fields of the National Seed Management Office, clearly demonstrating the unique excellence of each variety. They were uniformly grown and supplied after being refined with modern facilities,” adding, “Compared to seeds self-harvested by farmers, these seeds yield more and grow better, laying the foundation for producing high-quality rice.”

With the onset of the main farming season, the Agricultural Technology Institute plans to strengthen on-site technical support by period for premium Gyeongbuk rice, including optimal regional transplanting timing, reducing nitrogen fertilizer, eco-friendly pest and disease management, and timely harvesting.

Shin Yongseup, Director of the Gyeongbuk Agricultural Technology Institute, stated, “The government-supplied rice seeds distributed in the region for premium Gyeongbuk rice are the highest quality varieties such as Samgwang and Yeonghojinmi, selected by the Rural Development Administration. We plan to gradually increase the cultivation proportion from the current 30% to 40%.”

This year, the province is promoting early dissemination of new varieties and the establishment of pilot fields for the highest quality rice varieties across 13 major rice production sites covering 385 hectares. Additionally, innovative projects such as drone direct seeding demonstrations to reduce labor, sparse seedling planting cultivation trials, and digital farming technology advancement projects for the entire rice cultivation process are underway.

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