(Andong=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Seung-hyung = On the 4th, Gyeongbuk Province announced that 12 out of 13 districts nationwide have been selected for the '2026 Fruit Specialty Production Zone Infrastructure Creation' project, a public bidding project by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Applications for 12 districts were submitted in 7 cities and counties including Pohang, Andong, Yeongcheon, Gyeongsan, Uiseong, Cheongsong, and Seongju, and all were selected.
The Fruit Specialty Production Zone Infrastructure Creation project involves developing water sources such as bedrock wells and pumping stations, improving access roads and agricultural roads, and clearing orchards in fruit tree collective cultivation areas (over 30 hectares) of apples, pears, grapes, peaches, etc., to establish a production and shipment base.
The project will be carried out over two years with no burden on farmers, funded entirely by national and local budgets.
Since 2005, the province has invested 190.8 billion won in this project, implementing it in 134 districts covering 5,636 hectares.
Kim Ju-ryeong, Director of the Gyeongbuk Province Agricultural and Livestock Distribution Bureau, said, "The damage from the super-large wildfire that occurred in March this year was concentrated in the fruit sector, and 30.3 billion won has been invested in the project to focus on the rapid recovery of fruit farmers" and "Six districts in areas affected by the wildfire have been selected for the Fruit Specialty Production Zone Infrastructure Creation, allowing for a greater focus on damage recovery."