Haenam County Restructures Sweet Potato Industry... "Toward Sixth-Sector Industrialization"

Haenam County in South Jeolla Province has begun restructuring the entire sweet potato industry. Moving away from a simple production-focused farming structure, the county is implementing an all-encompassing strategy that integrates every stage of the industry, from the development of new varieties to processing industrialization and the improvement of distribution systems.

On August 12, Haenam County announced the recent completion of the Sweet Potato Research Center in Pyeonghwal-ri, Samsan-myeon, with a total floor area of 30,000 square meters. This center serves as a core infrastructure covering the entire sweet potato industry cycle, including the development of new varieties, pest and disease diagnostics, storage and sorting technology development, and research on processed products. It is positioned as a hub for the medium- to long-term growth of the sweet potato industry.

Haenam County has launched the Sweet Potato Research Center and has embarked on a structural reform of the entire sweet potato industry. Photo by Haenam County

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Haenam sweet potatoes are registered as Geographical Indication No. 42 and are known for their high sugar content and abundance of dietary fiber and minerals. The loess soil and sea breeze are cited as key factors contributing to their quality. Currently, about 600 farms in Haenam cultivate sweet potatoes on approximately 2,000 hectares, producing around 34,000 tons annually, which accounts for about 10% of the nation’s total cultivation area.

The county is particularly focused on developing high-quality, region-specific sweet potato varieties to replace foreign breeds, while also securing disease- and disaster-resistant varieties. In addition, it is establishing a foundation for precision farming through demonstration research on smart agricultural machinery and open-field smart farms utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology. These measures are intended both to address the challenges of an aging rural population and labor shortages, and to ensure production stability.

Systematization is also being advanced at the cultivation stage. The county is preparing a standard cultivation manual that covers soil management, pest and disease control, optimal planting distances, and harvest timing, and is working to standardize quality throughout the entire process from production to storage, sorting, and distribution.

Processing industrialization is progressing simultaneously. Alongside the development of functional ingredients using by-products such as sweet potato stems and leaves, the county plans to develop 15 types of processed sweet potato products between 2025 and 2030. The goal is to transform the sweet potato industry into a sixth-sector industry by targeting new markets such as home meal replacements (HMR) and health functional foods.

In the distribution sector, the county plans to organize joint sorting and shipping groups to establish a farmer-centered distribution structure, with the intention of evolving this into a company-style distribution organization in the future. Through these efforts, the county aims to enhance distribution stability and price competitiveness by ensuring uniform quality, implementing a grading-based sorting system, and establishing a post-harvest management system.

County Governor Myung Hyun-kwan stated, "We will continue our efforts to ensure that Haenam sweet potatoes do not rest on their long-standing reputation, but instead become the most trusted, highest-quality sweet potatoes for consumers." He added, "We expect this to be an opportunity not only to increase farmers' incomes but also to enhance the reputation of sweet potatoes as a beloved product nationwide."

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