Gangwon Province to invest 880 billion for a happy agriculture and rural area.

(Chuncheon=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Jae-hyun = Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province plans to invest 880 billion won for a happy agriculture and rural community. The province held a '2026 agricultural policy field strategy explanation meeting' at the Gangwon Research Institute on the 10th, attended by 80 agricultural policy department heads from 18 cities and counties, and shared five major strategies. The main strategies include building a Gangwon-style future agriculture and rural community with 370 billion won, transitioning to smart and low-carbon livestock farming and securing future growth engines with 42 billion won, enhancing Gangwon agriculture through linking the production, distribution, and consumption of agricultural products with 221.6 billion won, building a sustainable agricultural environment and promoting public interest functions with 269 billion won, and establishing a safe and welfare system for coexistence of people and animals with 41.9 billion won. The province plans to expand the designation of 'rural vitality promotion zones' and actively support various rural development models to increase the practical use of the special system for farmland in the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Act. Additionally, to cultivate apples as a new strategic crop, seven specialized smart orchards will be created in Wonju, Taebaek, Jeongseon, Cheorwon, Yanggu, and Inje. Park Hyeong-cheol, head of the provincial agricultural policy bureau, said, "It is a time for the province and five counties to concentrate all administrative capabilities to prepare for the future of Gangwon agriculture" and "We will unfold Gangwon agricultural policies that residents can directly experience." jlee@yna.co.kr