Jindo County in South Jeolla Province has showcased mechanization technology applicable to the entire process of cabbage planting to harvesting in response to rural aging and labor shortages.
On September 17, Jindo County held the 'Field Demonstration of Excellent Agricultural Machinery' in the Aengmuri area of Jisan-myeon, demonstrating mechanization technologies for cabbage planting and other field agriculture.
The event was co-hosted by the Rural Development Administration, the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Agricultural Technology Center, the Jindo Agricultural Technology Center, and the Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries. Over 100 participants, including members of the National Agricultural Machinery Expert Research Association, farmers, and industry representatives, attended.
The demonstration introduced a mechanization model that incorporates agricultural machinery throughout the entire production process, from cabbage planting to harvesting.
Machinery such as soil crushers, automatic seeders, mulching machines, planting machines, and cabbage harvesting machines were showcased in actual operations. Other agricultural equipment, including soybean seeders and potato harvesters, was also displayed.
Notably, the automatic seeder introduced on this day can produce 420 trays per hour, reducing labor time by 72% compared to manual seeding.
The cabbage planting machine can handle a maximum of 4,000 pyeong in a day, potentially reducing labor by up to 80% compared to manual planting, according to the county. As rural areas continue to face aging populations and labor shortages during peak farming seasons, there is growing interest in how mechanization can alleviate labor burdens in actual farming operations.
Lee Jae-gak, the mayor of Jindo County, stated, "Mechanization in field agriculture is a crucial task to address rural aging and labor shortages. I hope this demonstration will help reduce the labor burden in rural areas and enhance agricultural productivity and competitiveness."
He added, "We will establish field-based models using agricultural machinery developed and transferred by the Rural Development Administration, and we will work to promote the spread of mechanization in field agriculture through the dissemination of new technologies and on-site technical support."
Meanwhile, Jindo County is also promoting the expansion of smart agriculture by integrating information and communication technology (ICT) and data-driven technologies into open-field farming. This year, the county is implementing a smart agriculture development project targeting large green onion cultivation areas, applying smart irrigation technologies to enhance agricultural productivity and reduce labor costs.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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