Yeongcheon Apples Win Top Prize as Best Quality Agricultural Production Complex Nationwide

Proving Quality Competitiveness
Through New Apple Varieties Adapted to Climate Change

Yeongcheon City announced on December 18 that the Yeongcheon Domestic New Apple Variety Research Association (President Jung Youngchul) was selected as the top complex (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award) in the "2025 Best Quality Agricultural Product Production Complex" competition hosted by the Rural Development Administration.

This achievement is considered even more valuable as concerns have been growing about apple cultivation conditions in the Yeongcheon region due to climate warming.

Lee Seungdon, Administrator of Rural Development Administration (third from left), Jung Youngchul, President of the Research Association (fourth from left), and research members are taking a commemorative photo of the award.

The evaluation panel for this competition consisted of members from the Rural Development Administration, external agricultural experts, and citizen judges. After the first round of document review, seven complexes nationwide were selected, and through a second round of presentations, the Yeongcheon Domestic New Apple Variety Research Association was ultimately chosen as the top complex.

The Yeongcheon Domestic New Apple Variety Research Association was established in 2015 and currently has 33 members cultivating apples on 17 hectares of land.

Of this, 12 hectares are dedicated to cultivating new domestic varieties such as "Summer King," "Golden Ball," and "Arisu."

The association received high marks for responding to recent climate change by switching to new apple varieties suitable for local conditions, conducting various online and offline promotional activities to expand consumption of new varieties, holding regular quality evaluation meetings, and providing cultivation technology education.

Additionally, the association was recognized for moving away from the market's heavy reliance on the "Fuji" variety and expanding the cultivation of diverse new varieties that can be harvested from July to September, thereby broadening consumer choices.

Since 2015, Yeongcheon City has been distributing competitive early- and mid-season new apple varieties and providing cultivation guidance tailored to local conditions in response to climate warming and abnormal weather.

As a result of these efforts, the Yeongcheon Rubies Apple Growers' Group won the Prime Minister's Award in 2018, and this year, the Domestic New Apple Variety Research Association has achieved the top award.

President Jung Youngchul stated, "This result is thanks to the joint efforts of guidance organizations and farmers to respond to climate change and meet diverse consumer demands. All our members will continue to work hard to produce delicious apples."

A city official commented, "Winning the top award is an encouraging achievement that demonstrates the nationwide competitiveness of Yeongcheon apples. We will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of the local fruit industry by distributing field-oriented cultivation techniques suited to the era of climate change."