Hamyang County Holds Opening Ceremony for Goat Auction Market

Opening on the 20th: Gyeongnam's First Goat Industry Hub Takes Its First Step

Hamyang-Sancheong Livestock Cooperative in Gyeongnam held the opening ceremony for the 'Goat Auction Market' on the morning of the 20th at the livestock auction market located in Hamyang-eup, with County Governor Jin Byeongyeong, Kang Moonkyu, Deputy Head of Gyeongnam Nonghyup, local and national agricultural cooperative heads, and goat farmers in attendance.

Hamyang County, group photo at the opening ceremony of the goat auction market.

The Hamyang County Goat Auction Market, the first of its kind in the Gyeongnam region, was established amid rising expectations for the growth of the goat industry following the recent enforcement of the 'Dog Meat Consumption Ban Act.' As the number of goats being raised has increased, the absence of an auction market has forced farmers to rely on direct transactions, often resulting in unfair losses. The new market is expected to help secure stable incomes for goat farmers by establishing a transparent distribution system.

Starting with the first auction on this day, the Hamyang-Sancheong Livestock Cooperative Goat Auction Market plans to hold regular auctions every third Monday of the month. In the second half of the year, it will be transformed into a smart electronic auction, allowing bids to be placed from anywhere using just a smartphone, thereby greatly improving convenience for buyers.

A total of 109 goats were brought to the auction, with 96 successfully sold. The highest bid reached 1.8 million won, and the average bid was 820,000 won, marking a successful start to the market.

Governor Jin, who attended the opening ceremony, stated, "As goat farming is emerging as a new source of income for livestock farmers, we will industrialize the entire process from production to processing and distribution, making Hamyang County a central hub for goat farming."

An official from Hamyang County added, "We will spare no administrative support, including projects to support the installation of preventive vaccination and quarantine facilities for stable goat farming, programs to support the purchase of breeding goats to establish a production base, and projects to provide goat farming equipment."