Sang-geun Lee, Goseong County Governor, "Buy Delicious Zucchini for Seolnal"

Lee Sang-geun, the governor of Goseong-gun, Gyeongnam, visited the Zucchini Pumpkin Cultivation Farm of the Yeonghyeon Pumpkin Farming Group to explore support measures.

On the 24th, Governor Lee inspected the facility pumpkin farming site, listened to the difficulties faced by farmers during the severe cold season, and encouraged them.

Sang-geun Lee, Governor of Goseong County, Gyeongnam, visited the zucchini cultivation farm of the Yeonghyeon Pumpkin Farming Group to explore support measures.

Currently, in four myeon including Yeonghyeon-myeon and Yeongo-myeon, and six farming groups, the harvest of facility pumpkins (Aehobak, Zucchini) is in full swing. The harvested products are shipped to fruit and vegetable wholesale markets such as the Garak Agricultural Products Wholesale Market in Seoul.

Pumpkins are crops included in the local specialized crop complex development project of the 8th local government term, serving as an excellent source of income for Goseong and greatly contributing to the population influx into Goseong-gun.

In Goseong-gun, about 122 farms cultivate pumpkins over an area of 55 hectares, with a production volume of 2,196 tons and shipment value of approximately 4.4 billion KRW at the end of 2023.

Especially, 83% of Goseong pumpkins are produced in the Yeonghyeon-myeon and Yeongo-myeon areas.

Mr. Kim Jeong-gon from Yeonghyeon-myeon produces about 30 tons annually with a cultivation area of 0.5 hectares (5 greenhouses) and shipment value of about 50 million KRW. He plants zucchini pumpkins at the end of October and harvests them until early March of the following year, then cultivates watermelons as a subsequent crop.

Last year, the unauthorized LMO zucchini pumpkin (varieties: Daegum, Gayageum) cultivation and distribution incident, which had not undergone risk assessment, caused a sharp decline in sales and income even for farms not cultivating those varieties, deepening the farmers' worries.

Governor Lee said, “2023 was a very difficult year due to the unauthorized LMO zucchini pumpkin incident, which led to decreased sales and income for pumpkin farming households. In 2024, we will do our best to increase farmers' income through active administrative support such as introducing new cultivation technologies and modernizing facilities.”

Meanwhile, zucchini pumpkins are larger and plumper than Aehobak and are also called pig pumpkins. They contain easily digestible carbohydrates and a high amount of vitamin A, making them common ingredients in stews or soups.