(Wonju=Yonhap News) Reporter Im Bo-yeon = The project to strengthen the competitiveness of the local rice industry in Wonju City and to establish a stable distribution foundation has gained momentum.
The construction project for an integrated rice processing center (RPC) was selected in the high-quality rice distribution activation project competition, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and has also passed the central investment review by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
This project aims to enhance the quality of local rice and improve the distribution system to increase consumer trust and boost farmers' income.
The city will accelerate the implementation of the project following the approval of the central investment review.
After completing the detailed design and administrative procedures, construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2027, including the modernization of storage and processing facilities, and plans are in place to strengthen the cooperative framework with the local agricultural cooperatives and the Wonju Agricultural Cooperative Rice Joint Business Corporation.
Through this, the city intends to establish a unified system for "production-processing-distribution-sales" by devising specific measures to improve rice quality and awareness and to efficiently operate the facilities.
Mayor Won Gang-su of Wonju City said on the 23rd, "This project will be a turning point in raising the quality competitiveness of Wonju rice," and added, "We will do our best to build a systematic distribution foundation so that Totomi, the local brand rice, can be trusted by consumers nationwide."
limbo@yna.co.kr