YEONGJU — The city of Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province said on the 14th that Young E-Green Yeongju, a company founded by local young adults, has been selected as a new community business by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The company develops, distributes and sells products under a joint brand called "FRUITS" using apples and other fruit grown in the region.
Moving away from a sales model centered on individual farms, the company has built a distribution network linking growers with consumers and is working to strengthen the market competitiveness of local farm produce.
It also reflects farmers' views and demands in its operations through a "local living lab," in which young residents and other community members identify problems together and look for ways to solve them.
The company plans to set up a direct sales outlet for farm produce in a vacant store at a traditional market, creating a new sales base that is expected to inject vitality into the local commercial district.
"We will actively identify and nurture community businesses that draw on local characteristics, and provide support so that they lead to higher farm incomes and a more vibrant local economy," a Yeongju city official said.