Jeonnam Rural Development Corporation Enhances Rural Competitiveness with Precision + Smart Agriculture

Published 26 Dec.2023 07:00(KST)

[Feature Report] Discovering the Potential of 'Jibangsomyeol' ①

Establishing Infrastructure Utilizing Advanced ICT

Accelerating the Creation of 'Smart Farms' to Attract Young Farmers

Vacant houses, aging population, depopulation, and regional extinction. These are rapidly felt issues in rural areas. At a time when half of local governments are identified as at risk of extinction, a public institution has attracted attention by achieving results through smart agriculture and leveraging regional characteristics.

The protagonist is the Jeonnam Regional Headquarters of the Korea Rural Community Corporation.

Cho Young-ho, Head of the Jeonnam Regional Headquarters of the Korea Rural Community Corporation, visiting the site of the Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley project.
[Photo by Korea Rural Community Corporation Jeonnam Regional Headquarters]

▲Focusing on ‘Smart Agriculture’ Utilizing Advanced Information and Communication Technology

Despite the importance of food security and the potential of rural spaces realized through climate change and COVID-19, the risk of rural extinction continues to be raised. Globally, digital agriculture encompassing precision and smart technologies is becoming widespread.

In line with this trend, the Jeonnam Korea Rural Community Corporation, together with Jeonnam Province and other local governments, is focusing on smart agriculture using advanced information and communication technology, leveraging Jeonnam’s regional identity as the “province of agriculture.”

In November last year, they completed the Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley, which can be called a future agricultural innovation hub.

The Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley spans 33.35 hectares and includes youth incubation greenhouses, youth rental farms, demonstration complexes, and support centers, expected to serve as a stepping stone for a great leap forward in future agriculture.

The Jeonnam Headquarters mainly took charge of creating the complex and building greenhouses. They constructed seven greenhouses in total, and the demonstration complex is designed for research and development by smart farm-related companies, while trainees educated in smart farming can rent and operate actual smart farms.

Greenhouse crop cultivation scene at Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley. [Photo provided by Jeonnam Regional Headquarters, Korea Rural Community Corporation]

▲Smart Farms Attracting Young Farmers

Not long ago, smart farms were noted only for remote control capabilities. However, now precise growth management through data, artificial intelligence, and unmanned automation have advanced. Utilizing these innovative technologies to improve agricultural productivity has become the natural future of agriculture.

This transformation has become an attractive factor drawing young people into agriculture. Instead of the traditional labor-intensive methods, agriculture has become a field of infinite expansion possibilities by using advanced ICT familiar to the youth.

However, settling in agriculture is difficult with just potential and appeal. For young farmers, smart farms involve the burden of initial costs, and for existing farmers, the burden of transition.

To alleviate these burdens, the government and local governments are increasing related project initiatives. The smart farms, for which the Jeonnam Headquarters is responsible for facility and infrastructure construction, are divided into projects for young start-up farmers and for existing farmers.

Regional specialized rental smart farms, management practice rental farms, and reserved farmland rental smart farms are projects where the Jeonnam Regional Headquarters builds facilities for smart farms that have high initial investment costs and are difficult for young farmers to enter, then rents them at reasonable rates to provide management opportunities.

Smart farm greenhouse new construction and renovation, and smart horticulture complex development are smart farm projects for existing farmers. If they want to establish a stable production base for fresh agricultural products or develop large-scale smart horticulture complexes, they can apply to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the corporation will construct the facilities or sites.

Number of Sites and Project Costs by Business (Unit: 100 million KRW).

The Jeonnam Headquarters plans to complete smart farm-related facility construction in 104 districts by 2026. In terms of project volume, this signifies the start of regional smart farm revitalization and also highlights the Korea Rural Community Corporation’s role as an infrastructure development specialist institution that handles all processes of smart farm projects from planning to design and construction management.

▲Jeonnam as the Future Agricultural Hub

The accumulated know-how from the corporation’s experience combined with the enthusiasm of Jeonnam Province and local governments for smart agriculture predicts limitless growth potential.

Last November, the Jeonnam Headquarters and Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services signed a business agreement to establish rental smart farms for young farmers. The agreement focuses on utilizing the capabilities and resources of both institutions to support the stable settlement of young farmers in agriculture. The Jeonnam Headquarters will handle reserved farmland rental and smart farm facility construction, while the Agricultural Research and Extension Services will provide education and technical support for young farmers’ smart farm settlement and expansion.

The open-field smart farm project was also entrusted to and completed by the Jeonnam Regional Headquarters. Since 2020, they have been developing a pilot complex capable of advanced unmanned automation in the Bannam-myeon area of Naju City, commissioned by the Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services. They have completed the creation of future-type farmland including irrigation water supply facilities (one pumping station, 12.79 km of irrigation and drainage canals, and 4.93 km of roads) and are currently constructing an integrated control center and an autonomous agricultural machinery warehouse.

The Jeonnam Regional Headquarters of the Korea Rural Community Corporation and the Jeonnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services have signed an agreement to establish rental-type smart farms for young farmers.
[Photo by Jeonnam Regional Headquarters of the Korea Rural Community Corporation]

Going forward, with the advancement of an integrated control platform and big data-based sophistication, demonstration projects will accelerate the mechanization of field farming and the development and utilization of intelligent unmanned and automated agricultural machinery.

Jo Young-ho, head of the Jeonnam Regional Headquarters, emphasized, “Jeonnam has sufficient advantages as a future agricultural hub. Beyond smart agriculture, if integrated complexes for livestock, fisheries, horticulture, as well as distribution and processing facilities are adequately established, Jeonnam will undoubtedly become an innovation base for agriculture as a workplace and living space for young farmers.”

He added, “The Jeonnam Regional Headquarters will continue to make every effort through close collaboration with various institutions so that young farmers can realize their dreams, challenge future agriculture, and settle down.”