Yeongcheon City Holds Completion Ceremony for "Regional Specialized Lease-Type Smart Farm" ... "Era of Young Farmers, Nurturing Professional Talent"

On December 11, Yeongcheon City held a completion ceremony for its "Regional Specialized Lease-Type Smart Farm," attended by over 200 people, to foster young farmers who will lead the future of agriculture and to present a vision for smart agriculture.

The Yeongcheon City Regional Specialized Lease-Type Smart Farm was the first in North Gyeongsang Province to be selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' 2022 public offering project. The detailed design was completed in 2023, construction began in January last year, and the project was completed in April this year.

Provided by Yeongcheon City

The city invested a total project cost of 20 billion won to build a 4-hectare state-of-the-art smart farm greenhouse complex in 706 Guam-ri, Kumho-eup. Last year, the project was selected for the Energy Use Efficiency Project, securing 2.8 billion won in funding, which enabled the installation of air-source heating and cooling systems, significantly reducing heating costs for young farmers.

Afterwards, the city conducted trial operations to check for any issues with the various mechanical facilities and confirmed the stability of the facilities. In June, 20 young farmers across 7 teams, selected through an open recruitment process, moved into 7 cutting-edge glass greenhouses.

The first group of resident young farmers began full-scale farming, starting with cucumber harvesting in July, followed by tomato shipments in August, and strawberry shipments in November.

They are successfully establishing a stable production system for each crop and settling into the smart farm environment.

Each greenhouse covers approximately 6,000 square meters and is managed by three young farmers. Each team operates one greenhouse, enhancing management autonomy and enabling independent operations, which has been met with enthusiastic support.

The young farmers who moved in this time will gain hands-on experience in smart farm management and build their entrepreneurial capabilities over a three-year period until May 2028.

Lee Daegwon, a young farmer cultivating tomatoes, said, "I have been interested in smart farms as the new future of agriculture in this era of climate change, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to manage such a cutting-edge glass greenhouse. Although I have faced many trial and error as a beginner, I will do my best to become a successful model as a member of Yeongcheon City's first group of smart farm residents."

Meanwhile, a city official stated, "Beyond simply leasing facilities, we will systematically nurture smart farm specialists through education and consulting, thereby strengthening the core foundation of Yeongcheon City's future agriculture."

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