Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs unveils 6 innovation cases
AI compares produce prices; platform links urban job seekers to farms
AI can now compare local prices and discount information for agricultural and livestock products and recommend the cheapest place to shop — and the same technology is being applied to grade cattle, pigs and eggs. A service connecting urban job seekers with farms short on labor has also been introduced. Policies integrating AI and digital technology into farming operations and everyday life have been selected as standout examples of government innovation.
South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held its "2026 Agri-Food Policy Concert" at Bagyeon Cultural Hall in Sejong on Wednesday, unveiling six innovation cases from the sector.
Now in its ninth edition, the annual policy concert — held every year since 2018 — is an event where policy officials present their results and the public directly evaluates the best cases. This year, six policies were selected from submissions by the ministry's headquarters and affiliated agencies after a review by outside experts.
One of the most attention-grabbing entries is an AI-powered grocery shopping service. The ministry's "Smart Neighborhood Grocery Shopping" platform compares nearby prices and discount information for agricultural and livestock products and recommends suitable purchasing options to consumers. It uses conversational AI to help users find the information they need with ease.
AI is also being deployed in livestock grading. The Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation is advancing an AI-based grading system that precisely analyzes the quality of cattle, pigs and eggs and provides the resulting data to consumers — replacing assessments previously carried out by human inspectors.
![A promotional poster for the "2026 Agri-Food Policy Concert," held by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at Bagyeon Cultural Hall in Sejong on Wednesday. [Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/11/04/news-p.v1.20261104.34beca1f9e04470ab0e4b08dd753188d_P1.png)
On the administrative side, a method for reducing unnecessary on-site inspections was recognized as a best practice. The ministry introduced an approach using "Farm Map" — a digital farmland map built from aerial imagery — to check actual cultivation conditions in advance and conduct field visits only for plots requiring further inspection.
A service addressing the rural labor shortage was also included. Through the job platform Albamon, urban job seekers are matched with farms in need of workers, while accommodation information in rural areas is provided via a lodging database. By offering both job listings and housing information together, the service makes it easier for people to find what they need to take up rural employment.
A project to repurpose agricultural produce that might otherwise go to waste also made the list. The Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation announced its "Stockpiled Agricultural Products Value-Up Project," which converts government-stockpiled cabbage and radishes into animal feed, traditional liquor and eco-friendly farming materials, while also directing supplies to food support programs for vulnerable groups.
A program providing eco-friendly produce packages to pregnant women was also recognized. The initiative aims to supply healthy food to expectant mothers and future generations while securing a stable consumer base for eco-friendly agricultural products.
About 180 people attended Wednesday's event, including a public evaluation panel recruited through the ministry's citizen engagement platform "Modu's Agri-Policy Messenger" and members of the Government Innovation Avengers group. Participants assessed the policies on their outcomes and potential for wider adoption, and voted to select the best cases.
Final rankings will be determined by combining scores from the on-site vote, the advance expert review and an online public satisfaction survey. The ministry plans to award prize money and a ministerial commendation to the top finishers: 3 million won ($2,240) for first place, 2 million won each for two runners-up, and 1 million won each for three encouragement prizes.
Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong said the ministry would "actively encourage creative thinking and bold attempts so they can translate into results that the public can feel." Song added that it would "continue to communicate constantly with the field and do its utmost to deliver the best policies and administrative services as swiftly as possible."
adastra@heraldcorp.com
