ANDONG — North Gyeongsang Province said on the 19th that it secured 6.9 billion won ($4.8 million) in state funding through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' smart agricultural product center program, the largest amount among the country's provinces and metropolitan cities.
Smart agricultural product centers (APCs) move beyond conventional sorting and packing. They use artificial intelligence, big data and robotic automation to grade produce quality to a uniform standard and automate the packaging process.
Under the program, APCs in six cities and counties — Gimcheon, Mungyeong, Gyeongsan, Yeongyang, Cheongdo and Seongju — will adopt AI-based sorting and robotic automation.
Total spending on the project will reach 18.9 billion won, including the state funding.
The province expects the upgrades to give farmers stable sales channels and fair prices for their produce, while providing consumers with a supply base for high-quality, safe agricultural products.
"We will put this AI- and data-driven smart distribution infrastructure in place quickly to maximize the market competitiveness of North Gyeongsang produce and deliver distribution reforms that farmers can feel," said Park Chan-guk, director general of the province's agriculture, livestock and distribution bureau.