Growing interest in the fermented food industry has brought a steady flow of outside organizations and trainees to the South Sea Coast Fermented Food Industry Support Center, a foundation based in Seungju-eup, Suncheon.
According to the city of Suncheon, agricultural college students from Jangheung-gun and lawmakers and officials from the North Gyeongsang Province council are scheduled to visit the center in September.
The interest has been building for some time. In the first half of this year alone, 37 organizations visited the center, including the Gokseong-gun Office of Education, heads of local fermented food companies and farmers.
As public interest in healthy eating and raising the added value of local agricultural produce grows, the fermented food industry is drawing increasing attention — and demand for on-site visits and exchanges is expected to rise further.
The center was established as a specialized research institution with the goal of revitalizing the fermented food industry by increasing the added value of locally grown agricultural products.
"We will continue to expand fermented food development using local produce and our support for businesses, while running education and hands-on programs more substantively to help drive the fermented food industry and strengthen the competitiveness of related companies," a center official said.
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