Muju County Selected for "Youth Stepping Stone Smart Farm Development Project"

Securing 3 Billion Won from the Regional Response Fund for Population Decline

Muju County announced on November 17 that it has been selected for the "2026 Youth Stepping Stone Smart Farm Development Support Project," organized by North Jeolla Province, securing 3 billion won from the Regional Response Fund for Population Decline.

Exterior view of Muju County Office. Provided by Muju County

The "2026 Youth Stepping Stone Smart Farm Development Support Project" aims to establish rental smart farms as a foundation for youth entrepreneurship in agriculture, supporting the settlement of young families in rural areas.

With this selection, the county will be able to complete the final phase of the "Highland Youth Rental Smart Farm Complex Development Project," which has been implemented in stages since 2022.

In particular, by linking this project with the nationally funded "Muju County Smart Horticulture Complex Infrastructure Development Project" and the "Low-Carbon Energy Joint Utilization Facility Support Project," the county expects to further enhance the effectiveness of the initiative and advance its vision for smart agriculture.

The "Highland Youth Rental Smart Farm Complex Development Project" involves building rental greenhouses, heating and cooling systems, ventilation facilities, and environmental control equipment on a 61,500-square-meter site in Jeungsan-ri, Mupung-myeon, by the end of next year. The detailed design for the rental greenhouses and seedling facility has been completed, and greenhouse construction is currently underway.

To ensure the successful implementation of the project, Muju County Mayor Hwang Inhong and relevant officials recently visited the Smart Farm Innovation Valley in Gimje City to benchmark the operation of rental smart farms and youth entrepreneurship support cases.

The county also plans to strengthen the foundation for smart agriculture by introducing greenhouse structures and automation systems suitable for the local conditions, establishing a support system for youth rental and entrepreneurship, and operating specialized training and consulting programs.

Mayor Hwang Inhong stated, "Through this project, we will overcome the crisis of regional extinction caused by demographic changes and population decline, and it will serve as an opportunity to enhance the sustainability of Muju agriculture. We have reduced the financial burden for the Muju-style smart farm development project and further solidified the foundation for its implementation."

He added, "We will accelerate the implementation of the project to ensure that practical benefits reach young people who wish to return to farming or rural life, or who are preparing to start smart farm businesses."

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