By Ko Dong-hwan
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung / Yonhap
The country’s agricultural sectors will embark on artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital breakthroughs this year for more effective cultivation and livestock farming amid increasingly unpredictable climate conditions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, monday
The authority’s key policies this year also include advancing the country’s welfare policies for pets and encouraging related industries, as the government looks to capitalize on the momentum from January when the National Assembly of a special law banning dog meat.
Vice Minister Han Hoon said the ministry will implement ICT and AI technologies to provide more local farms with advanced technologies and thereby increase their income. He said the authority will invest 6.2 billion won ($4.7 million) in introducing new solutions for disease prevention, odor mitigation in animal husbandry and technology advancement related to greenhouses, farms of animals and crops. The ministry will also have an additional 18 billion won of funds to implement new farming methods for various rural products throughout local farms.
“Most of the country’s initial, so-called first-generation smart farms relied on hardware,” Han said. “We’re going to lead that generation to the next level with AI.”
Han said the ministry would ease regulations for operators of vertical farms, another rising sector that uses data-driven automation to control temperature, water supply and sunlight to maximize crop yields. crops and reduce damage to crops. The authority will allow emerging farms to be built in many regions of the country for a longer period of time to allow their technologies to develop more quickly.
To maximize the synergy between local agriculture and the food industry, the ministry will build three new food-tech research centers, double the dedicated fund from 10 billion to 20 billion won and have a separate fund in research of 11.4 billion won.
In another objective, the ministry will strengthen industries for the growing number of pet owners and increasing demand for pet care by launching new laws to better meet their needs.
The authority, next December, will introduce comprehensive welfare policies for pet owners, which will be effective until 2029. A plan to further develop pet food and medical platforms for on animals will be completed by the end of this year, to be followed by a new government initiative called One-Welfare Valley that will research pet care products and services.
Minister Song Mi-ryung said that there have never been higher expectations for the future potential of the country’s agricultural industry as the current economy, industry related, is more uncertain on a global scale. He said that the latest agenda of the ministry will lead the country’s major changes in the field of digital, generational and rural space.
“It’s my utmost desire to realize these three transformations starting this year,” Song said in a press conference in Sejong, Monday. “Our rural regions are threatened by climate change and population decline. To solve the issues, we have designed new policies based on fundamental changes.”
