South Korea has finished the construction of a mega smart farm complex that is about the size of 30 football fields in a rural area. The complex of smart farm facilities is designed to become an incubator for automated agricultural technologies and smart farm-related startups.
South Korea has tried to popularize smart farms and attract young farmers to the agricultural industry by providing subsidies and educational programs since 2017. Smart farms are considered an effective solution to tackle an aging population in the agricultural sector. The farming population is decreasing fast from 2.5 million in 2015 to 2.3 million in 2020.
North Jeolla Province said in a statement that a 300-hectare-wide complex called "Smart Farm Innovative Valley" was built in Gimje, a rice belt some 200 kilometers (656 miles) south of Seoul. The complex houses facilities such as an education institute, a technology demonstration site, greenhouses, and small smart farm modules for rent. Startups and students who received training will be given an opportunity to rent modular smart farms at a very low monthly fee.
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