[Feature] Naju, the Agricultural City, Focuses on Agri-Bio Industry... Kicking Off Transition to High Value-Added Agriculture

Promoting the Industrialization of Agriculture and Achieving Sustainable Farming
Brand Development, Innovation in Processing and Distribution, and Expansion of Exports
1.022 Billion Won Invested to Improve Rural Living Environments
Focusing Admin

A wide view of the Naju Plain spreading extensively across the Yeongsan River basin, known as the "Lifeline of the Southern Provinces." Provided by Naju City

Naju City in South Jeolla Province has long been recognized as a representative agricultural city of the Honam region, forming the backbone of South Korea’s agriculture. Under its eighth popularly elected administration, Naju is moving beyond traditional agriculture, positioning the agro-bio industry as a core growth engine and actively pursuing the industrialization and value enhancement of agriculture. The city is rapidly shifting from a production-centered agricultural policy to a comprehensive approach that encompasses brand development, innovation in processing and distribution, export expansion, the establishment of income safety nets for farmers, and improvements to rural living conditions.

As of 2026, Naju’s agricultural sector is preparing for a new leap forward under the vision of “well-selling agricultural products,” “sustainable agriculture,” and “a rural community that attracts people back.”

Strengthening Agricultural Competitiveness: Market Expansion and Export Promotion

Naju City is focusing on “branding” and “market expansion” as the key to agricultural competitiveness, pursuing a premiumization strategy for its agricultural and livestock products.

The city is intensively nurturing leading local brands such as “Cheonnyeon Ieum Naju Pear” and “Naju Dulaechan Hanwoo” to enhance consumer trust and build a premium image through differentiated quality control. Naju is also accelerating a nationwide premiumization strategy by selecting flagship agricultural specialties for each region-such as Nampyeong strawberries, Sanpo green chili peppers, Seji melons, Geumcheon and Bonghwang pumpkins, and Noan water dropwort-and linking production, distribution, and marketing.

The focused development of region-specific products has greatly contributed to increasing farm incomes and expanding nationwide recognition of Naju’s agricultural products.

The city is also constructing a Food Tech Research and Support Center to foster food processing and future food industries. Scheduled for completion this year in Dongsudong, this center is expected to become a key hub for expanding primary production-based agriculture into a sixth industry by supporting the development of processing technologies, startup incubation, prototype production, and business linkages.

Strengthening online distribution is also notable. “Najumall” (najumall.kr), the integrated online shopping mall for Naju’s local specialties, achieved sales of 1.6 billion won in 2025, demonstrating its growth potential. Naju plans to further revitalize Najumall operations and strengthen agri-food marketing to actively target new consumer markets and younger demographics.

Achievements in developing overseas markets are also drawing attention. During the eighth administration, Naju signed agricultural export MOUs totaling 44.7 million dollars with eight countries-United States, Australia, Vietnam, Canada, New Zealand, Austria, United Arab Emirates, and France-laying the groundwork for entry into the global market.

Establishing an Income Safety Net for Farmers

Naju sees stable income guarantees for farmers as central to sustainable agriculture and is building a robust income safety net. A representative policy is the increase in the public benefit allowance for farmers. The allowance, which recognizes the public value of agriculture, will be raised from 600,000 won to 700,000 won, substantially easing the management burden on farm households.

To address the severe labor shortage in rural areas, the city is actively expanding the employment of foreign seasonal workers. The number of seasonal workers, which was only 354 in 2023, increased to 800 in 2025, and will be further expanded to 1,000 in 2026 to fundamentally resolve labor shortages during peak farming seasons. This support enables stable farming activities even amid the aging rural population.

In addition, the city is implementing policies to strengthen agricultural competitiveness over the medium and long term, such as fostering young and successor farmers and expanding the smart agriculture infrastructure, thereby striving to create a sustainable agricultural ecosystem.

Significant Improvements to Rural Living Conditions

Naju City has set “making rural areas livable” as the ultimate goal of its agricultural policies, focusing administrative efforts on improving living conditions and farmer welfare. The city is investing 44.2 billion won in a rural space improvement project to demolish pigsties, which are a major source of odor complaints, and improve living conditions in four locations: Geuman-ri in Noan-myeon, Oryong-ri in Munpyeong-myeon, Jukseok-ri in Bonghwang-myeon, and Daesan-ri in Seji-myeon.

Naju is also promoting a rural center revitalization project, with 15 billion won each allocated to Nampyeong-eup and Gongsan-myeon, totaling 30 billion won. Additionally, a basic living infrastructure project with a budget of 28 billion won is being implemented in eight areas-Geumcheon, Sanpo, Dado, Bonghwang-myeon, Donggang, Bannam, Seji, and Wanggok-myeon-to dramatically improve rural living infrastructure. The city is also continuously creating 12 return-to-farming and return-to-rural villages to encourage urban-to-rural migration and restore rural communities.

Support for daily life to improve the quality of life for farmers has also been strengthened. The unit price for communal village meals during peak farming seasons has been raised from 5,500 won to 6,000 won, and the number of supported days has been increased from 24 to 25 days per year. Detailed policies are also being implemented, such as expanding the distribution of convenient farming chairs to all farm households and supporting restroom facilities for female farmers in rural fields to reduce the burden of farm work.

Welfare for female farmers has also been significantly enhanced. The city provides a “Happy Voucher” of 200,000 won per year to female farmers aged 20 to 80, and supports 220,000 won for special health checkups to help guarantee their right to health.

Smart, Eco-friendly, and Climate-responsive Agriculture

Naju is also focusing on spreading smart agriculture to respond to the future of farming. The city is seeking to improve productivity and reduce labor through smart greenhouses, ICT-based environment control, field fruit robot demonstrations, and the introduction of data-driven agriculture. Centered on the Agricultural Technology Center, Naju is strengthening farmers’ technological competitiveness by promoting the adoption of AI-based agricultural technology, responding to climate change and pests, and supporting the development of new varieties, all aimed at agricultural technology innovation and a happier rural community.

Expanding eco-friendly agriculture and transitioning to low-carbon farming are also major policies. The city is responding to the climate crisis by expanding eco-friendly certifications, improving soil environments, and supporting farms practicing carbon neutrality.

In the livestock sector, Naju is building a safe and sustainable livestock industry foundation by strengthening animal disease prevention systems, improving livestock environments, and distributing smart livestock facilities.

Awards Recognizing Agricultural Policy Achievements

Naju’s agricultural policy achievements have been recognized with various awards, proving the excellence of its agricultural competitiveness.

Last year, Naju received the highest S grade for the third consecutive year in the Local Food Index evaluation organized by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The city also won the top prize for two consecutive years in the agri-food distribution business evaluation organized by South Jeolla Province and received the top prize for three consecutive years in the agri-fisheries food export evaluation.

By actively promoting rural development pilot projects, Naju was honored with the top prize in the comprehensive evaluation of rural development projects. In addition, Naju’s representative rice brand, “Wanggeoni Tamnaen Rice,” was selected for three consecutive years as one of the top ten high-quality rice brands in South Jeolla Province, earning recognition for both quality and brand value.

Mayor Yoon Byungtae of Naju stated, “The vision for Naju’s agricultural policy in the new year of 2026 goes beyond simple support, focusing on developing agriculture as a future industry and transforming rural areas into sustainable living spaces. Naju’s challenge, centered on the agro-bio industry, will present a new model for future agricultural cities and lead the direction of South Korea’s agricultural policy.”