Introduction of Contactless and Digital Administration ... Sacheon City to Realize "Field-Oriented Agricultural Policy"

Field-Oriented Agricultural Policy, Preparing for a Sustainable Future

Sacheon City in South Gyeongsang Province is set to overhaul the entire agricultural sector by 2026.

Starting with the introduction of contactless and digital administration, the city will gradually implement measures ranging from farmland management and expansion of production infrastructure to strengthening agricultural safety, with the goal of realizing "field-oriented agricultural policy."

◆ Making Administration Simple, Making Farming Convenient

The city will fully implement the "Next-Generation Integrated Agricultural and Rural Information System" to drive the digital transformation of agricultural administration. The system will be reorganized to allow major administrative requests, such as agricultural business registration, modification, and public direct payment applications, to be handled remotely.

In particular, agricultural e-zone monitors will be installed at 11 towns and districts, and a tablet-based electronic application system will be introduced to move away from "paperwork-centered administration."

Through these measures, it is expected that farmers will benefit from improved administrative accessibility, while administrative agencies will achieve greater work efficiency.

◆ Strengthening Management of Farmland and Agricultural Corporations to Establish Order in Agriculture

The city will also work to establish a fair agricultural order through surveys on farmland use and inspections of agricultural corporations. Based on the results of last year's farmland use survey, a hearing will be held in March for farmland subject to disposition, followed by the imposition and notification of farmland disposition obligations in April. There are 26 farmland owners subject to the hearing, covering 19 parcels and a total area of 16,024 square meters.

Additionally, a status survey will be conducted on local agricultural corporations and farming associations to inspect office locations, farming performance, and operational status. For corporations that do not meet requirements, follow-up actions such as corrective orders will be taken.

◆ Strengthening Production Infrastructure to Stabilize Farm Income

The city will promote both income stability for farmers and improvement of production structure through strategic crop direct payments and support projects in the livestock sector. Strategic crop direct payments, aimed at increasing the utilization of rice paddies, will encourage the cultivation of various crops such as powder rice, legumes, and forage, contributing to the stabilization of rice supply and demand. In addition, through 72 livestock sector projects with a total support budget of 6.8 billion won, the city will focus on supporting high-demand projects such as forage production, silage manufacturing, and improvement of livestock facility environments. Target beneficiaries include livestock farmers, livestock organizations, and agricultural corporations.

Furthermore, livestock disease control will be further strengthened to protect the property of livestock farmers and ensure community safety. Surveillance and preventive measures will be reinforced against highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), African swine fever (ASF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and zoonotic diseases, and the comprehensive livestock quarantine center will operate 24 hours a day to maintain a rapid response system.

In particular, the 2026 sweet potato tissue culture seedling distribution project for registered agricultural businesses will be actively promoted. The first phase will target farmers with greenhouse facilities, and the second phase will target open-field farmers, with a total of 40,000 tissue culture seedlings to be distributed at a unit price of 100 won per seedling. The demand survey for the first phase will be conducted from February 9 to February 20, with distribution on March 11, while the second phase demand survey will be held from March 19 to March 30, with distribution scheduled for April 22.

◆ Opening the Future of Sacheon Agriculture with "Gyeongnam-Bred New Varieties"

The city is also focusing on distributing Gyeongnam-bred new varieties and fostering young and new farmers. The strategy is to expand the supply of excellent varieties such as Aram rice and Gyeongwon rice, centering on leading farms, to ensure both cultivation stability and productivity.

Aram rice (Gyeongnam No. 2) is a mid-late maturing variety selected by Sacheon City as the government’s public stockpiling rice variety for 2026, noted for its excellent appearance, taste, lodging resistance, and strong resistance to bacterial leaf blight and stripe disease.

Gyeongwon rice (Gyeongnam No. 4) is an early maturing variety suitable for early cultivation and harvest, making it ideal for capturing the new rice market and increasing farm income. Seed production and re-production infrastructure are already in place through government and provincial support projects such as the staple crop new variety production base complex and Gyeongnam-bred staple crop production complex.

However, as these are newly introduced varieties, there are concerns about lack of cultivation experience and potential disease outbreaks such as brown spot in Aram rice, making cultivation technique education and thorough field management essential.

◆ Fostering Young Farmers and Ensuring Safety

The city supports the stable settlement of young and returning farmers through on-site training for new farmers. By connecting trainees with leading farms and providing up to 800,000 won per month in trainee support, the city helps establish a practical foundation for farming.

In addition, on-site repair services for agricultural machinery and safety education are provided to prevent accidents during busy farming seasons and to support safe farming activities for farmers.

Regular livestock disease control education and manual guidance will also be provided to help livestock farmers adhere to quarantine protocols and respond quickly to outbreaks.

In particular, hygiene inspections and traceability checks at livestock product businesses will be strengthened ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Out of 146 local businesses, 20 will be inspected, focusing on illegal sales of imported or domestic products disguised as others, unreported businesses, and labeling violations.

Violations will be strictly addressed, from on-site corrective measures to administrative sanctions, to ensure the safety of food for citizens.

Aerial view of Sacheon Agricultural Technology Center.

◆ Seeking Answers in the Field

Sacheon City's 2026 agricultural policy is not a simple list of projects, but a comprehensive strategy that integrates administration, production, safety, and the future into a single flow.

The city plans to continue creating a sustainable agricultural environment through policies tailored to farmers’ needs and field-oriented implementation.

Mayor Park Dongsik stated, "We will continue to pursue field-oriented agricultural policies that reduce administrative burdens for farmers and enhance the competitiveness of agriculture," adding, "We will complete the Sacheon-style agricultural policy model to prepare for the future of agriculture."

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