Gangneung City, accelerating the transition to future-oriented agriculture with scientific farming and promising crops

(Gangneung=Yonhap News) Reporter Yoo Hyeong-jae = Gangwon Gangneung City announced on the 10th that it is leading the way in increasing the competitiveness of local agricultural products and boosting farmers' income through the dissemination of future-oriented agricultural technology and scientific farming. According to the city, selected for the 2022 Regional Revitalization Crop Base Creation Project, the area for winter strawberry cultivation was expanded to 9.5 hectares, and an advanced seedling facility (0.33 hectares) was established to build a foundation for high-quality strawberry cultivation, thereby improving the quality of Gangneung strawberries and creating a stable production base. Plans are in place to further establish advanced seedling facilities for strawberries by 2026, continuously expanding the smart seedling system and the dissemination of new varieties to enhance the brand value of Gangneung strawberries. Additionally, from 2026, a new "Gangneung Future Apple Smart Orchard" of 10 hectares will be established as an alternative crop to reduce damage from continuous cropping in high-altitude vegetables for three years. The city is also significantly strengthening on-site tailored scientific farming services to quickly and accurately solve problems in agricultural fields and achieve sustainable agricultural development. The city continues to expand tailored farming support based on scientific farming data, including the operation of a 1.5-hectare demonstration and testbed greenhouse for the dissemination of new varieties and on-site verification of regional adaptation. This has led to a reduction in the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, cutting production costs, contributing to carbon-neutral agriculture in response to the climate crisis, and establishing a foundation for the production of safe and high-quality agricultural products. In particular, since August, a hydroponic cultivation nutrient solution analysis system has been established and raw water analysis services have been introduced, simultaneously promoting the enhancement of agricultural environmental stability, improvement of agricultural product quality, and reduction of agricultural management costs. Furthermore, starting in 2026, plans are in place to further solidify the scientific farming foundation to ensure a stable supply of high-quality seed potatoes and to develop Gangneung as the main potato production area on the East Sea coast. Mayor Kim Hong-gyu said, "We will continue to strengthen the dissemination of new agricultural technologies and on-site tailored technical support to enhance the competitiveness of local agricultural products."