* Efforts to protect agriculture and rural communities prove fruitful despite difficulties like COVID-19
– Expansion and distribution of domestically cultivated varieties, such as Charm Dream, by Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services; accounts for over 68% of domestic varieties in the province
– Provides Korea’s leading agricultural care services and ‘healing’ farms: 46 sites
– Fostering next-generation 4-H agricultural talents: 859 individuals (8.1% increase over 2021)
– Operating agricultural product safety analysis centers; expanded from 13 centers in 2021 to 15 centers in 2022

On December 15, the Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services (GARES) was selected as Korea’s leading rural development institution among nine competitors and received the ‘Grand Prize’ during the ‘Agricultural Promotion Business Performance Sharing Contest’ at the Rural Development Administration (RDA).

To promote local agricultural research and extension services, the RDA identifies and presents awards to one leading institution and two exceptional institutions by evaluating their achievements in terms of rural guidance projects every year.

GARES has realized a number of achievements: increasing the cultivation area for Korean rice varieties in Gyeonggi Province from 36% in 2018 to 68% in 2022 so as to strengthen seed sovereignty; operating 46 ‘healing’ farms, more than any other Korean local autonomy, to provide exemplary care services; responding proactively to plant quarantine pests on a national level; securing 859 4-H members as next-generation agricultural talents, marking an increase of 8.1% compared to 2021; and operating 15 agricultural product safety analysis centers, more than any other Korean local autonomy. Overall, the institute endeavored to secure seed sovereignty, food safety, and future agricultural experts.

In recognition of its outstanding achievements, GARES received many awards in 2022, such as the 2022 Excellent PR Award, the Excellence Award for an Outstanding Agricultural College, the Excellence Award for Technological Support Promotion in Scientific Farming, and the Excellence Award for Dissemination & Innovation in Agricultural Technology, in addition to the ‘Grand Prize’ from the Rural Development Administration.

“Despite many difficulties including COVID-19, our efforts to protect agriculture and rural communities have paid off… We will strive to develop agricultural initiatives in Gyeonggi Province through communication and cooperation between provincial and city/county governments in 2023,” said GARES Director Kim Seok-chul.