[Provided by Gyeongbuk Health University]
[Provided by Gyeongbuk Health University]

Gyeongbuk Health University held a farmers' forum Thursday at the multipurpose conference room on the second floor of its main building, focused on strategies for introducing and applying smart agriculture to existing farm facilities in Gimcheon.

The forum brought together representatives from 10 farming households in the Gimcheon area — growers of apples, plums, grapes and cucumbers — along with students enrolled in the university's smart farm program. Participants held in-depth discussions on tailored approaches to smart agriculture adoption and the feasibility of on-site application.

The event was organized to explore a practical smart agriculture model that moves away from building large-scale new smart farms and instead focuses on incrementally integrating sensors and automation technology into orchards, greenhouses, vinyl houses and open-field facilities that farmers already operate.

The university's smart farm department proposed a phased approach to smart agriculture adoption tailored to each farm's infrastructure and crop characteristics.

Proposals covering smart agriculture technology applications and development directions for Gimcheon's main crops — apples, plums, grapes and cucumbers — drew strong interest from attending farmers.

Standard inspection criteria were also shared, covering structural conditions, electrical and communications environments, irrigation and drainage systems, labor capacity and maintenance frameworks that farms must assess before introducing smart agriculture technology.

Gyeongbuk Health University plans to work with the Gimcheon Agricultural Technology Center, local farmers and smart agriculture equipment companies to establish a "Gimcheon-style smart agriculture living lab" operating framework.

University President Lee Eun-jik said the institution would "lead the digital transformation of Gimcheon's agriculture and strengthen its competitiveness for the future by building a smart agriculture ecosystem grounded in industry-academia cooperation, where local farmers, the university and government agencies grow together."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com