Gangjin-gun Selected for Strawberry Seedling Production Complex Public Project

"Secured 800 Million Won for 'Establishment of Highest Quality Strawberry Seedling Production Complex' Project"

[Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] Gangjin County has been selected for the 2023 Agricultural Transition Project contest conducted by Jeollanam-do, securing a total project budget of 800 million KRW.

The transition project contest is an initiative promoted by the Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services to discover and foster strategic income crops by utilizing regional resources.

Gangjin County applied for the project titled "Establishment of a Highest Quality Strawberry Seedling Production Complex," aiming to cultivate professional farmers for the industrialization of Gangjin strawberry seedling production. After document screening and presentation evaluation, it was finally selected on the 20th.

In particular, during the presentation evaluation, Gangjin County Governor Gang Jin-won provided a video appealing the urgency of strawberry seedling industrialization, which strengthened the bid for the project selection.

The county plans to invest a total budget of 800 million KRW over two years to expand the introduction of labor-saving strawberry cutting techniques targeting about 80 strawberry farmers in the area, foster specialized seedling farms capable of selling strawberry seedlings to other regions, and establish a production base as a strawberry seedling specialized complex.

Additionally, to secure genetically superior seedlings, a long-standing issue for strawberry farmers, a distribution center will be established within the Agricultural Technology Center to supply a certain scale of high-quality seedlings annually.

Gang Jin-won, Governor of Gangjin County, stated, "Strawberries are a major agricultural income source in Gangjin, and producing high-quality seedlings is very important." He added, "With the selection for this project, we will do our best to increase farm income through the industrialization of strawberry seedling production."

The success of strawberry cultivation depends on securing healthy seedlings free from disease, but the supply of good strawberry seedlings has been insufficient every year. Difficulties in securing superior seedlings and purchasing poor-quality seedlings have led to pest and disease outbreaks and reduced production, acting as major factors hindering farm income.

In response, the Gangjin County Agricultural Technology Center has devoted years to budget support, farmer education, and intensive research activities. As a result, Gangjin strawberry seedlings are recognized as excellent not only in Jeonnam Province but nationwide.

Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su gabrielw@asiae.co.kr

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