Goheung-gun, 52 Final Selections for Smart Farm Youth Trainees

Incentives for Academic Excellence

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs finalized the selection of 208 trainees for the 2020 Smart Farm (Intelligent Farm) Youth Startup Long-term Training Course on the 31st of last month.

According to Goheung County on the 6th, the final selected trainees were chosen with 52 trainees per Smart Farm Youth Startup Incubation Center nationwide, including Jeonnam Goheung, Jeonbuk Gimje, Gyeongbuk Sangju, and Gyeongnam Miryang.

Recruitment targeted youth aged 18 to under 40, resulting in 431 applicants for 208 available spots, showing a competition ratio of 2.1 to 1.

The final selected trainees in Jeonnam Goheung numbered 52 (40 males, 12 females) with an average age of 30.6 years, distributed as 34 (65%) from Jeonnam region and 18 (35%) from other cities and provinces.

These trainees will undergo preliminary education (orientation) in August, followed by participation in a long-term training course specialized in smart farms starting in September.

The 20-month training program consists of introductory education (basic theory for 2 months), training-type practice (field practice for 6 months), and management-type practice (farming and management practice for 12 months).

For the first 8 months until the completion of the Goheung Smart Farm Innovation Valley management-type greenhouse, trainees will receive theoretical education and training-type practice at the Agricultural Science Education Center of Sunchon National University. After the management-type greenhouse is completed in April 2021, the 12-month training will be conducted at the Goheung Smart Farm.

This training enables youth without agricultural knowledge or farming experience to gain employment or start businesses in smart farms by receiving education covering all stages from basic agriculture such as crop cultivation and smart farm greenhouse management to marketing and management.

Additionally, outstanding trainees upon course completion will be granted priority for leasing smart farm facilities within the Innovation Valley and eligibility to apply for comprehensive loans for young farmers' smart farms, among various other benefits.

A county official stated, “We will do our best to complete the Smart Farm Innovation Valley by the end of next year, serving as a foothold for youth incubation, advanced agricultural R&D, and demonstration projects to promote the future development of agriculture in Jeonnam.”