Lee Kyungjae, President of the Gyeonggi Province Rice Farmers Association,
Wins the Presidential Award
Gimpo Geumsal rice has proven its excellence by winning the Presidential Award. On the 21st, the city announced that Lee Kyungjae, president of the Gyeonggi Province Rice Farmers Association, received the Presidential Award with the highest score at the awards ceremony for the "28th National High-Quality Rice Producers Selection Contest" held in Sejong City on the 20th.
Lee Kyungjae, president of the Gyeonggi Province Federation of Rice Farmers, who has been making continuous efforts to produce Gimpo Geumsal rice, received the Presidential Award on the 20th. Provided by Gimpo City
The award recipient, Lee Kyungjae, has been operating the "Woorissal Farming Association" eco-friendly rice production complex in Haseong-myeon, Gimpo City, for over 20 years. He has accumulated diverse experience through his activities in local agricultural organizations, including serving as president of the Gimpo Geumsal Rice Research Association. Since 2022, he has been elected and serving as president of the Gyeonggi Province Rice Farmers Association, continuously striving and researching to produce high-quality Gyeonggi rice and Gimpo Geumsal rice.
Gimpo Geumsal rice is produced in the fertile and rich plains surrounding the Han River. The peninsula climate, bordered by the Han River and the West Sea, creates a large temperature difference between day and night in the fall, and the timing and temperature during the ripening period are ideal for rice cultivation, resulting in excellent grain quality. Traditionally, this glossy, clear, and pure rice has a 5,000-year history and was once presented as tribute rice for the royal table.
In addition, Gimpo Geumsal rice is recognized for its outstanding taste, consistently receiving top ratings in various consumer and brand evaluations, and has even been selected for Presidential banquet meals. In particular, the "Cham Dream" rice variety submitted to this contest is a domestically developed variety bred in Gyeonggi Province. It is praised by consumers for its gloss, sheen, transparency, excellent taste, and sticky texture, making it delicious even when eaten plain.
To produce high-quality Gimpo Geumsal rice, Gimpo City supports all rice cultivation areas in the city by providing seedling box treatments and seedbed soil, conducts eco-friendly pest and disease control across all areas using drones, and promotes a support program that offers incentives for high-quality rice cultivation to GAP-certified farms.
In particular, through the "Geumbit Naru" certification, an integrated brand for agricultural specialty products recognized by the mayor of Gimpo, the city strictly manages moisture content and nutritional preservation to maintain the highest quality standards.
Lee Jaejun, director of the Gimpo City Agricultural Technology Center, stated, "We will continue to provide support so that local farmers can focus on producing high-quality rice and supply safe Gimpo Geumsal rice that consumers can trust and seek out."
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