Minister Song Mi-ryeong of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on the 22nd, "Fundamental improvements in agriculture are necessary to respond to climate change and changes in rural demographics," and "We will increase the adoption rate of smart agriculture from 16% in 2024 to 35% by 2030."
Minister Song noted at a joint briefing on the new government's economic growth strategy held at the Government Seoul Office that "we will actively utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to enhance agricultural productivity and quality while reducing labor force," adding, "We will strengthen our response capability to climate change and accelerate the transition to smart agriculture."
He first announced that he would designate innovation-leading zones for smart agriculture to introduce an AI-based decision support system and disseminate next-generation solutions that can provide optimal prescriptions according to growth conditions. He also explained that he would work on developing and demonstrating new technologies suitable for our conditions, such as energy-independent smart farms and semi-closed greenhouses.
He also identified the development of agricultural robots and automation technology as key tasks. Minister Song stated, "We will replace high-intensity agricultural labor with robots and implement precision agriculture tailored to the characteristics of individual crops such as field crops and fruit trees." He added that he would support field diagnostics and consulting through the smart agriculture manager being introduced for the first time this year and pursue plans to cultivate converged talents.
He emphasized the need to expand financial support and strengthen export strategies. Minister Song noted, "We will increase comprehensive funding so that young farmers and small-scale farmers can easily adopt smart agriculture and partner with private consortiums to enter global markets," stating, "We will build demonstration greenhouses in promising markets and hold road shows." He also presented a plan to secure next-generation foundational technologies through inter-agency collaboration and support the commercialization of AI-applied products.
Minister Song outlined strategies to expand K-food exports. He said, "We will strengthen overseas marketing linked to K-culture to increase K-food exports to $15 billion by 2030," adding, "We will reduce the burden on corporations with measures such as the resolution of non-tariff barriers, expansion of export insurance, and enhancement of local logistics networks." He especially identified the halal food market as a promising future sector and announced comprehensive support from certification to marketing.
Minister Song emphasized, "We will grow AI-based smart agriculture and expand K-food exports to develop agriculture into a national strategic industry and contribute to achieving a super-innovative economy."