Gimje and Sangju Selected for Agricultural Startup Complex... 5.45 Billion KRW in National Funding Allocated

Up to 30-Year Lease for Young Farmers... Total Area of 6ha

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Agricultural startup complexes will be established in Gimje-si, Jeonbuk, and Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 15th that Gimje-si and Sangju-si have been selected as target areas for the establishment of agricultural startup complexes this year. Accordingly, the ministry plans to invest 5.45 billion KRW of national funds this year to create agricultural startup complexes in Gimje-si and Sangju-si. The size of each complex is expected to be around 3 hectares.

The agricultural startup complex project involves the Korea Rural Community Corporation purchasing clustered idle farmland or national/public land, then improving production infrastructure such as access roads and irrigation/drainage channels to enable smart farm cultivation, and subsequently leasing or selling the land to young farmers for up to 30 years. Eligible recipients are young farmers aged 39 or younger who have no prior farmland acquisition history. The ministry plans to select candidates by evaluating farming plans among graduates or prospective graduates of the Smart Farm Startup Incubation Center.

Previously, in November last year, the ministry invited applications from local governments nationwide for the agricultural startup complex project. A selection committee composed of experts conducted document screening and on-site evaluations, ultimately selecting Gimje-si and Sangju-si as the regions for establishing agricultural startup complexes. A ministry official explained, "We selected target areas that applied for youth farmer development and farming settlement support and that can be linked with related ministry projects such as leased smart farms."

The ministry intends to establish a close cooperative system with the Korea Rural Community Corporation, the project implementer, as well as Gimje-si and Sangju-si during the establishment of the agricultural startup complexes. Lee Seung-han, director of the Farmland Division at the ministry, said, "Since the smart farm innovation complex areas were selected as this year's target regions, we expect this to help young farmers who wish to engage in smart farm cultivation to start their businesses and settle in farming, as well as contribute to revitalizing the local economy."