(Gangneung=Yonhap News) Reporter Yoo Hyeong-jae = Gangwon Gangneung City announced on the 17th that it will be the first in the province to support 333 community centers with eco-friendly rice starting from 2026.
As of this year, community centers are supplied with 3,400 bags (20 kg) of government grain rice.
However, starting next year, the city plans to change the supply to eco-friendly rice produced locally.
To this end, the city plans to secure an additional budget of 150 million won to support the difference in cost for purchasing eco-friendly rice.
Currently, Gangneung City has an eco-friendly rice production area of about 88 hectares in the Domari area of Wangsan-myeon, producing about 430 tons of eco-friendly rice annually.
If eco-friendly rice is supplied to community centers, it is expected to not only provide safe food to the elderly but also to help balance the production and consumption of local food, strengthening the sustainability of local agriculture-linked food.
The city has been at the forefront of improving the quality of meals for the elderly by supplying eco-friendly rice to the Gangneung Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center and Gangneung South Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center since July, and to the North Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center since October.
Additionally, the city plans to distribute a set of side dishes worth 60,000 won, including noodles, soy sauce, and cooking oil, to community centers in September using the remaining balance of the grain subsidy for community centers, and to distribute eco-friendly hatchap rice in November.
Mayor Kim Hong-gyu said, "By providing safe food produced locally to local seniors, we will create a welfare model where health and agriculture grow together."