Eco Farmland Agro-Livestock Tourism Complex Breaks Ground, to Open March 2022

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hoon Reporter] The nation's largest agro-livestock tourism complex, 'Eco Farmland,' combining livestock farming, agriculture, and tourism, is expected to open in the Hwahong Reclaimed Land area of Hwaseong City in 2022.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 3rd that the 'Eco Farmland Development Project,' which will serve as a foundation for creating sustainable new income sources in rural areas, has begun full-scale construction starting in November this year.

The 'Eco Farmland Development' is a project that Gyeonggi Province has been pursuing since 2008 in partnership with six organizations including Hwaseong City, the Korea Horse Racing Authority, Suwon Hwaseong Osan Livestock Cooperative Association, Gyeonggi Southern Fisheries Cooperative, and Nongwoo Biotech, aimed at discovering income sources for farmers and tourism resources, creating jobs, and providing recreational spaces for urban residents.

The project had been delayed for an extended period due to delays in reclaimed land projects, but after Governor Lee Jae-myung's inauguration in the seventh democratic term, the project plan was finalized in September 2019, and full-scale detailed design and approval procedures were promoted, allowing the first groundbreaking after 12 years of standstill.

According to this project, a livestock research and development (R&D;) complex, equestrian complex, and pet complex will be built on a 1.19 million square meter site in Sector 4 of Hwahong Reclaimed Land in Mado-myeon, Hwaseong City, with a total floor area of 39,239 square meters.

Targeting completion in March 2022, construction will proceed with a total investment of 118.6 billion won, including 2.8 billion won in national funds and 115.8 billion won in provincial funds.

First, the 'Livestock Research and Development (R&D;) Complex' with a total floor area of 29,359 square meters will house facilities dedicated to research on improving livestock productivity, including Hanwoo cattle improvement and preservation of native livestock breeds.

The 'Equestrian Complex' will be built on a site of 8,474 square meters in total floor area and will include equestrian breeding facilities, equestrian training centers, and therapeutic riding centers.

The 'Pet Complex' will be constructed with a total floor area of 1,406 square meters and will include animal protection facilities, educational centers, and exercise grounds that will serve functions in education, training, protection, and adoption of abandoned dogs and cats.

The Province expects that once the Eco Farmland development project is completed and enters full operation, it will generate production-inducing effects of over 236 billion won, employment-inducing effects of 1,000 jobs, and value-added inducing effects of over 95 billion won.

A Province official stated, "This project aims to present a new paradigm for reclaimed land utilization and create a future-oriented agro-livestock tourism complex that leads new growth industries in rural areas," and added, "Now that we are breaking ground after long efforts, we will do our best to push forward with the project through to completion."