Jeongseon County Launches Pilot Drone Pest Control Project Covering 379 Hectares

On April 8, Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province announced that it will launch a pilot project titled the "2026 Drone Pest Control Support Project" to address the shortage of rural labor and to protect the health of farmers from pesticide exposure.

Jeongseon-gun Launches 379ha Scale Drone Pest Control Pilot Project. Provided by Jeongseon-gun

This project aims to dramatically reduce the time and costs required for farming operations by utilizing drones, a low-input and high-efficiency agricultural technology. The total project budget amounts to 133 million won (50% subsidy, 50% self-payment), and the project will be carried out for 161 farms across 379 hectares in the county (47 hectares of rice paddies and 332 hectares of dry fields).

The support amount will differ depending on whether the land is a paddy or a dry field. For rice paddies, the subsidy is 150,000 won per hectare (with 75,000 won as the subsidy), while for dry fields it is 180,000 won per hectare (with 90,000 won as the subsidy). Regardless of the number of plots, farmers can receive support for drone application costs up to two times per eligible plot. However, the subsidy covers only the drone operation costs and does not include the purchase of pesticides.

Eligible applicants are farmers who have registered their agricultural management information and have their address in Jeongseon County, with plots of land larger than 3,000 square meters. Farmers with plots smaller than the standard may also apply if they cultivate the same crop on adjacent plots that together total at least 3,000 square meters.

For efficient pest control, the county has selected two organizations—the Jeongseon County Branch of the Korea Advanced Farmers Federation Agricultural Cooperative Corporation and the Haeoreum Agricultural Cooperative Corporation—as contractors to carry out the project through private outsourcing.

The project will run until October this year, and participating farmers will coordinate schedules with the designated contractors to carry out drone pest control, paying only 50% of the service fees.

In December, following the completion of the project, the county will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to gather feedback and suggestions, which will be actively reflected in the project plan for the following year.

Jeon Sanggeun, head of the Agricultural Policy Division, stated, "We hope this drone pest control support project will provide practical help to farmers struggling with labor shortages and serve as a key stepping stone for Jeongseon County's transition to smart agriculture."

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