Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Han Hoon speaks during a press briefing on the government's key policies for this year, at the ministry's office in Sejong, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung / Yonhap
Agricultural sectors in the country will start ushering in 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 spurring related industries, as the government is looking to leverage the momentum from January when the National Assembly passed a special act banning dog meat.
Vice Minister Han Hoon said that the ministry will implement ICT and AI technologies to equip more local farms with advanced technologies and thereby increase their revenue. He said the authority will invest 6.2 billion won ($4.7 million) in introducing new solutions for disease prevention, livestock farming odor mitigation and technological advancement related to greenhouses, livestock farms and crop fields. The ministry will also secure an additional 18 billion won fund 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'll lead that generation to the next level using AI."
Han said that the ministry will mitigate regulations for operators of vertical farms, another rising sector that uses data-driven automation to control temperature, water supply and sunlight to maximize crop yield and minimize damage to crops. The authority will allow the emerging farms to be built in many regions of the country for longer periods in order to allow their technologies to develop faster.
To maximize the synergy between local agriculture and food industries, the ministry will build three new food-tech research centers, double the dedicated fund from 10 billion to 20 billion won and secure a separate research fund of 11.4 billion won.
In another goal, the ministry will boost industries for growing pet owners and rising demand for pet care by launching new laws to better cater to their needs.
The authority, by 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 animals will be completed by the end of this year, 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 present economy, linked to the industry, is largely uncertain on a global scale. She said the ministry's latest agenda will lead the country's key transformations in the fields of digital, generational and rural space.
"It's my utmost desire to realize these three transformations starting this year," Song said in a meeting with journalists in Sejong, Monday. "Our rural regions are being threatened by climate change and declining population. To resolve the issues, we have designed the new policies based upon the key transformations."