Hwaseong City to Support Regional Specialty Crop Development

Hwaseong City will focus on developing regional specialty crop complexes to actively respond to imported agricultural products by developing local specialty crops.

Hwaseong City announced on the 3rd that it will invest a total of 1.2 billion won to develop five high-income regional specialty crops: high-density apple cultivation, herb-themed farms, silkworm production complexes, bracken fern complexes, and eco-friendly mushrooms.

The city plans to establish high-density apple cultivation complexes covering a total area of 2 hectares across four regions: Mado, Seosin, Namyang, and Bibong.

A total of 10 farms will participate in the high-density apple cultivation project, with a total project budget of 415.33 million won, including farmers' own contributions.

The city will also invest a total of 300 million won to establish three herb-themed farms that can provide a pleasant environment distinct from urban areas.

Additionally, the city plans to focus on developing regional specialty crops including establishing silkworm production complexes to meet increased demand for health supplements, creating bracken fern complexes considering regional characteristics, and cultivating eco-friendly mushrooms for school meals and corporate dining services.

A city official stated, "High-density apple cultivation is easy to practice and suitable for aging rural areas, and silkworm production has advantages in expanding to related processing industries involving mulberry leaves, cocoons, pupae, and cordyceps," and added, "To actively respond to agricultural product import liberalization, we aim to develop competitive income sources in the region to enhance agricultural competitiveness."