Visit to Rice Planting Site in Buyeo, Chungnam... Encouragement for Young Farmers
President Yoon Suk-yeol visited a rice transplanting site on the 7th and encouraged local farmers by operating a rice transplanter.
According to a press release from the Presidential Office, President Yoon visited the rice transplanting site of 'Kkum-e Yeongnong Cooperative Corporation' (hereinafter referred to as the corporation) located in Imcheon-myeon, Buyeo-gun, Chungnam, in the afternoon.
After touring the rice and barley milling facilities and the site where 'garu ssal' seedbeds are made with Kim Dae-nam, the corporation’s representative, President Yoon loaded rice seedbeds onto the transplanter together with young farmers and personally operated the transplanter to carry out the rice transplanting work.
Garu ssal is a variety (Baromi) with a starch structure that is round and less dense like wheat, making it easy to process into powder. It is expected to strengthen food security by substituting imported wheat and alleviating the oversupply of rice.
President Yoon then observed the operation of the 'autonomous rice transplanter,' which passed the national inspection for agricultural machinery autonomous driving systems for the first time in Korea last month. The autonomous transplanter used in this rice transplanting was developed with Korea’s independent technology. The Presidential Office stated, "It is expected to contribute to solving the problems of aging rural populations and labor shortages."
President Yoon also shared a snack with farmers and village residents, enjoying banquet noodles made from domestically produced wheat, as well as watermelons and cherry tomatoes produced locally. The Presidential Office reported that during this occasion, President Yoon encouraged the hard work of farmers dedicated to producing food for the nation and listened to various voices from the field.
This is President Yoon’s second visit to a rice production site since participating in the rice harvesting event in Sangju, Gyeongbuk, last October.
Present at the site were Jeong Jin-seok, a member of the National Assembly representing the district from the People Power Party, Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam, Park Jeong-hyun, Mayor of Buyeo County, Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Choi Sang-mok, Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs of the Presidential Office, and Kang Seung-gyu, Senior Secretary for Civil Society Affairs.
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