Haenam-gun Selected for 'Subtropical Agriculture Revitalization' Contest

Selected for New Project of Regional Agriculture and R&D Linked Blending Model, Securing 2 Billion KRW in Funding

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun has been selected for the "Climate Change Response Subtropical Agriculture Revitalization Project" in the 2021 Research, Guidance, and Private Blending Model Contest hosted by the Rural Development Administration.

According to Haenam-gun on the 29th, the blending model project is promoted to establish a new concept of regional agricultural win-win model that can dramatically drive regional development through joint goal setting by the Rural Development Administration and local governments, and region-customized integrated technology support.

Out of 156 cities and counties nationwide, four were finally selected, securing a project budget of 2 billion KRW.

The Haenam-gun Climate Change Response Subtropical Agriculture Revitalization Project will be carried out until 2022, including expanding the cultivation area of subtropical crops, developing a joint brand for subtropical fruits to improve quality and distribution competitiveness, developing processed products for higher added value, and creating experience farms.

Haenam-gun plans to officially implement the project from next year after completing the project plan supplementation process and signing an agreement with the Rural Development Administration.

Haenam-gun is about 1℃ warmer than the national average temperature and is expected to enter a subtropical climate in the mid to late 2020s. Due to these climatic characteristics, about 180 farms cultivate 16 subtropical crops such as figs, kiwifruit, bananas, and apple mangoes on an area of 125 hectares.

In particular, the Haenam-grown bananas, harvested for the first time this year, are loved by consumers as eco-friendly agricultural products with a high sugar content of around 20 Brix.

Haenam-gun is actively promoting the subtropical agriculture revitalization project as a key project of the 7th local government administration, having enacted the first-ever ordinance for fostering subtropical agriculture nationwide and is making every effort to attract the national project, the Climate Change Response Agricultural Research Complex.