Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, alongside Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong, conducted a visit to Naepo Farm in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province. This visit aimed to evaluate apple production conditions during the flowering period and explore restoration support for farms affected by recent wildfires in North Gyeongsang Province.
Naepo Farm features disaster prevention systems, including hail prevention, sunlight blockers, windbreak nets, and smart systems such as automated watering. The ministers inspected facilities like portable hot air fans for frost prevention and assessed the flowering situation.
Deputy Prime Minister Choi addressed the challenges faced by fruit producers due to abnormal weather, stating, "We will expand budget support to increase specialized smart orchard complexes and enhance disaster prevention facilities to establish a stable production base against climate change." He emphasized the importance of careful growth management during the flowering period.
Minister Song highlighted the government's commitment to smart agriculture, noting, "We will promote the expansion of smart agriculture, such as smart orchards, and diversify the production and supply base to achieve stable management of agricultural products supply under abnormal climate conditions."
The government plans to enhance the fruit-growing industry's climate response capabilities through the 'Measures to Enhance Competitiveness of the Fruit Industry.' This includes expanding disaster prevention facilities and improving contract farming methods. Restoration support for smart orchards in North Gyeongsang Province is under consideration, with budget proposals forthcoming. Minister Song remarked on the wildfire impact, stating, "I believe it is appropriate to introduce smart equipment for disaster response and transform it into a future-oriented orchard at this opportunity."
Source: ChosunBiz