Completion of Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley, Growing Expectations for Future Agriculture

Published 15 Nov.2022 09:04(KST)

Long-term Vision to Expand into a Large-scale Advanced Agro-Fishery-Livestock Valley Exceeding 500,000 Pyeong

Completion of Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley, Growing Expectations for Future Agriculture

[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shim Jeong-woo] Jeonnam Goheung-gun (Governor Gong Young-min) announced on the 14th that it held the completion ceremony of the ‘Jeonnam Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley’ under the slogan ‘A Great Leap in Agriculture, Opening the Path for the Next 100 Years.’

About 300 people attended the completion ceremony, including Kim In-jung, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam; Kim Seung-nam, Member of the National Assembly; provincial and county council members; related organizations and agricultural groups; and young startup incubatees, sharing the vision of the Innovation Valley and encouraging and celebrating a strong start for the future development of the agricultural industry.

Goheung-gun has reached a new starting point toward future agriculture after more than three years since being selected as the second target site for the Smart Farm Innovation Valley in March 2019.

The Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley supports future agriculture with facilities on a total area of 33.35ha (100,000 pyeong), including 2.5ha of youth incubation greenhouses, 5.76ha of youth rental farms, a demonstration complex of 4.05ha (1.92ha greenhouse, 2.13ha open field), and a 0.44ha support center (3 floors, total floor area).

The youth incubation greenhouse is a facility that provides specialized education tailored to smart farms for 20 months, covering everything from basic crop cultivation theory to management practice, targeting youth under 40 years old.

The practical training crops in Goheung, Jeonnam, include four items: strawberries, tomatoes, melons, and citrus hybrids (Redhyang). The second batch of trainees selected last year is conducting management-type practice, while the third batch selected this year is undergoing education-type practice.

The youth rental farm is a greenhouse where young people who have completed the 20-month long-term education and are challenging smart farm startups can accumulate farming technology and enhance management capabilities at a low rental cost. Among the first batch who graduated in April this year, four teams (11 people) have signed three-year rental contracts and are currently cultivating tomatoes.

The demonstration complex is a space for research and development and demonstration by smart farm-related research institutes, universities, and companies, and is operated on consignment by Jeonnam Technopark to provide professional demonstration services.

It aims to develop a ‘southern-type smart farm’ model to prepare for climate warming and localize smart farm technology.

The big data center on the first floor of the support center is expected to contribute to improving farm productivity and spreading data-based smart agriculture by collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data within the Innovation Valley.

In addition, rental housing for young farmers is being built near the Innovation Valley to provide stable housing, and resident-participation rental farms are being promoted in connection, aiming to develop the Innovation Valley into a place of coexistence with local residents.

Gong Young-min, Governor of Goheung, said, “The greatest advantage of the Goheung Innovation Valley lies in its scalability using only reclaimed land in Goheung,” adding, “In the future, a large-scale advanced agriculture, fishery, and livestock valley of more than 500,000 pyeong will be created around the Innovation Valley, establishing it as a hub leading the future agriculture of Korea.”

He continued, “It will serve as an export forward base not only for the employment and startups of many young farmers but also for exporting agricultural, fishery, and livestock products produced in the Innovation Valley.”