Demonstration complex to be built on agricultural land in Gimje by 2028

One-stop support from development to field testing, performance improvement and certification

15 AI farm machinery sharing centers to open next year, expanding to 100 by 2030

Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

South Korea will build a large-scale demonstration complex in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, where intelligent farm machinery — including autonomous tractors — can be tested in conditions that replicate actual rice paddies and fields. The government will invest 106.6 billion won ($78.4 million) to build a 100-hectare test facility supporting domestically developed farm machinery from the development stage through certification.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held a ground-breaking ceremony Wednesday for the "intelligent farm machinery demonstration complex" on agricultural land in Saemangeum, Gimje.

The complex is designed to test the performance and safety of farm machinery under development in real farming conditions. It will be built on a 100-hectare site in Zone 5 of the Saemangeum agricultural zone at a total project cost of 106.6 billion won, with construction running from 2023 to 2028.

The complex will include demonstration fields replicating actual farming environments and test tracks for farm machinery, along with other infrastructure needed for development and field trials. Farm machinery companies will receive one-stop support — from the product development stage through field demonstration, performance improvement and certification — all at a single location.

The ministry is also expanding shared access to advanced farm machinery for farmers. Next year, it will establish 15 new AI farm machinery sharing centers linked to existing farm machinery rental offices, allowing farmers to jointly use advanced equipment such as autonomous tractors. The number of sharing centers is planned to grow to 100 by 2030.

The government is also overhauling the farm machinery retail and safety management regime. It has established a legal basis for excluding farm machinery manufacturers engaged in unfair practices — such as "dual pricing" — from eligibility for policy funding support. To reduce farm machinery accidents, the types of equipment required to have protective structures installed will expand from four to six, and standards for nighttime reflector installation are also being strengthened.

Kim Jeong-wook, director general for agricultural industry innovation policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said the complex "will serve as a core foundation supporting the technological innovation of our farm machinery companies," adding that the ministry would "implement farm machinery-related policies across various areas without disruption going forward."


adastra@heraldcorp.com