Wando County Accelerates Major Shift to 'Future-Oriented Smart Agriculture' with 720 Million Won Investment

Accelerating the Distribution of Labor-Saving Technologies
in Response to Climate Change

Wando County in South Jeolla Province is accelerating the spread of 'smart agriculture' to respond to rapidly changing agricultural conditions such as climate change and an aging population, and to secure the competitiveness of local agriculture.

On January 6, Wando County announced that it will invest a total of 720 million won this year to implement the '2026 Rural Guidance Pilot Project.'

Wando County Office Building Exterior

This project aims to innovate local agricultural technology and disseminate customized, demand-driven technologies. The main initiatives include: ▲ pilot distribution of automatic steering devices for ride-on agricultural machinery ▲ improvement of precision fruit farming environments in response to climate change ▲ implementation of a smart farm breeding management system for Hanwoo cattle, among a total of 16 areas.

In particular, the county plans to focus on distributing smart farm technologies that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technology (ICT), as well as automation equipment to reduce labor, with the goal of simultaneously increasing farm household income and addressing labor shortages.

Eligible applicants are farmers, farmer organizations, and agricultural corporations registered as agricultural management entities and residing in Wando County. Any farmer who has a high understanding of the project and a strong willingness to actively adopt innovative technologies in the field is welcome to participate.

Interested parties should visit the Agricultural Technology Center, local agricultural counseling offices, or township offices by January 30 to submit an application form and the required documents.

Project participants will be selected through document screening and on-site inspections according to criteria for each field, followed by an objective evaluation by the Agricultural Industry-Academia Cooperation Deliberation Committee. The project is scheduled to officially begin in March.

A county official stated, "We will spare no effort to support the early adoption of advanced agricultural technologies by local farmers through this pilot project," and added, "We hope to see active interest and participation from capable farmers who will lead the future of agriculture."

Meanwhile, detailed information on each project can be found on the Wando County Agricultural Technology Center website.