On the 13th, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it received the ‘Excellence Award for Four Consecutive Years’ in the comprehensive evaluation of agricultural administration in Jeollanam-do at the 28th Farmers' Day commemorative event held in Jangseong-gun on the 10th.
At the commemorative ceremony, awards were also given in the category of meritorious persons for Farmers' Day.
Min Kwon-sik, CEO of Chobang-ri Farm in Iyang-myeon, Hwasun-gun, received the Industrial Medal, while Moon Hyeong-yoon, CEO of Dogok Paprika Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, and Gu Ho-seong, president of the Hwasun-gun Rice Farmers Association, were each honored with the Prime Minister’s Commendation.
The comprehensive evaluation of agricultural administration is conducted by Jeollanam-do to encourage active participation and creative policy implementation by cities and counties regarding agricultural issues.
This year, the evaluation covered 41 items across six areas: ▲ revitalization of agriculture and rural areas ▲ promotion of eco-friendly agriculture ▲ promotion of food and horticultural crop production ▲ expansion of agricultural product distribution channels and development of the agro-food industry ▲ fostering environmentally friendly green livestock farming ▲ strengthening animal quarantine and livestock hygiene. The performance of 21 cities and counties was assessed accordingly.
In this evaluation, the county received particularly high marks for comprehensive land registry maintenance, promotion of crop diversification in paddy fields, expansion of facility horticulture cultivation area and fostering of young farmers, rice sales and brand rice development, expansion of environmentally friendly livestock infrastructure, and efforts in quarantine such as foot-and-mouth disease prevention and livestock product hygiene monitoring.
Looking at each area, in agricultural policy, the county achieved significant results by conducting a comprehensive maintenance of farmland ownership changes, leases, and cultivation status, thereby strengthening farmland management and establishing order under the Farmland Act. It also earned high scores for timely support of rural development funds, contributing to increased income and competitiveness of farmers and fishermen.
In the food and horticulture sector, the county received excellent evaluations for proactively addressing the issue of rice overproduction by increasing the cultivation area of other crops to 165 hectares, expanding facility horticulture cultivation area through support for greenhouses for retirees and young farmers, fostering field crop joint management bodies for medicinal herb cultivation, and planning to discover and promote new policies through contests such as small-scale field management support projects to enhance the competitiveness of the rice industry.
In the livestock sector, the county was highly rated for focusing on fostering specialized forage production complexes, expanding cultivation areas, distributing to farms to reduce feed costs, thereby contributing to increased income, and for efforts to create a pleasant farm environment by fostering eco-friendly livestock farms.
In the agro-food distribution sector, the county was recognized for inducing local companies to newly enter ‘Namdo Jangteo,’ Jeollanam-do’s online agricultural, fishery, and livestock products shopping mall, expanding sales and promotion of agricultural specialties through TV home shopping and direct transaction markets, thereby contributing to increased farm income.
Finally, in the animal quarantine sector, the county received high marks for supplying vaccines to prevent foot-and-mouth disease and guiding farms to increase antibody positivity rates, supporting HACCP consulting for livestock farms to strengthen livestock product safety management, and conducting hygiene guidance and sample collection inspections at livestock product sales venues, demonstrating efforts in livestock product hygiene management.
Additionally, the county was credited for independently implementing various projects such as the introduction of public seasonal workers, support for eco-friendly agricultural product production and shipment incentives, straw return projects, Hanwoo brand development, expansion of automatic feeding facilities in livestock barns for environmental improvement, support for artificial insemination of Hanwoo and dairy cattle, and support for blood sampling fees for tuberculosis and brucellosis testing in traded livestock, which significantly contributed to the award.
County Governor Gu Bok-gyu stated, “We will continue to lead Hwasun-gun’s agricultural administration focusing on increasing farmers’ income and competitiveness by fostering specialized crops suited to regional characteristics, establishing farming bases for young and retired farmers, strengthening the safety of agricultural and livestock products, and securing sales channels and increasing sales through revitalization of the Hwasun Farm online shopping mall, aiming to create a prosperous rural area with high income.”
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