Governor Jo Sangrae:
"Gokseong Aims to Be the Nation's Top Blueberry Production Area"
On the 2nd, Gokseong County held a blueberry cultivation field visit event at the farm of Osungjong (37) in Godal-myeon, attended by County Governor Cho Sangrae, farmers, and officials from the Agricultural Technology Center and Gokseong Nonghyup. Provided by Gokseong County
Gokseong County in Jeonnam Province (Governor Jo Sangrae) held a site visit event at the blueberry farm of Oh Seongjong (37) in Godal-myeon on the 2nd. The event was organized to review the achievements of early blueberry shipments and to listen to voices from the agricultural field.
The event was attended by Governor Jo Sangrae, farmers, officials from the Agricultural Technology Center, and representatives from Gokseong Nonghyup. Participants toured the blueberry cultivation site and listened to a progress report on projects from the Agricultural Technology Center. They then experienced harvesting blueberries themselves to better understand the hard work of farmers, and moved to the Gokseong Nonghyup Agricultural Products Distribution Center (APC) to hear about the progress of the APC project and observe the sorting and packaging process.
This event was prepared with the intention of having local government and Nonghyup visit farms directly to encourage farmers, share difficulties faced in the field, and wish for a bountiful harvest.
Currently, 119 farms in Gokseong are cultivating blueberries on a total area of 38.6 hectares (28% heated greenhouses, 22% rain shelters, 50% open fields). While blueberries are usually grown in open fields and harvested from June, Gokseong County has been able to ship them earlier, from March to April, by utilizing heated greenhouses. This allows consumers to enjoy fresher blueberries sooner and enables farmers to maximize profitability.
In fact, as of early to mid-last month, the wholesale price for premium grade blueberries (1kg) was 90,000 won, more than three times higher than last June's average price of 29,000 won. This result demonstrates that early shipments are making a tangible contribution to increasing farm profitability.
This year, the county expects blueberry production to reach 280 tons and gross income to total 7.2 billion won. The cultivation area has also expanded significantly, from 1.3 hectares in 2016 to 10.95 hectares last year.
Governor Jo Sangrae stated, "Our county's blueberry cultivation technology and quality are among the best in the country, and blueberries have become a major income-generating fruit. These achievements are thanks to the relentless efforts and research of our farmers. We will continue to provide active and attentive support so that Gokseong can become the nation's top blueberry production area."
Meanwhile, Gokseong County's continuous efforts and innovative support policies are presenting a new model for the development of the blueberry industry. Gokseong Blueberry is expected to continue establishing itself as a leading brand in the domestic blueberry industry.
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