Goryeong County's representative brand rice, 'Goryeong Okmi,' produced under the leadership of County Governor Lee Namcheol, has achieved the distinction of being selected as one of the 'Six Excellent Brand Rices of Gyeongbuk' for five consecutive years in 2024.
This evaluation targeted enterprises with brand rice sales exceeding 2 billion KRW in 2024. The final selection was determined by aggregating scores from professional evaluation agencies, based on criteria such as appearance, quality, and varietal mixing ratio.
Goryeong Okmi is cultivated in consolidated farmlands of over 2 hectares, utilizing the clear waters of Sogacheon, which originates from Gayasan, and fertile soil. The region implements thorough quality management for high-quality rice production, including joint pest and disease control using unmanned helicopters in single-cropping districts.
As of 2024, Goryeong Okmi (variety: Samgwang) was produced through contract cultivation by 460 farms across 494 hectares, yielding a total of 1,565 tons. DNA testing is conducted at the time of purchase to prevent varietal mixing. If the mixing rate exceeds 21%, strict management policies are enforced, such as restricting contract cultivation for three years and excluding farms from incentive support, thereby maintaining a single-variety system.
Governor Lee Namcheol stated, "To uphold the reputation of Goryeong Okmi, we will further enhance brand recognition together with the producing farms and the distributor, Goryeong RPC," adding, "We will continue to do our utmost for the development of the local food industry."
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