Agri-Livestock Tourism Complex 'Eco Farmland' Breaks Ground...Opens March 2022

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] South Korea's largest-scale agri-livestock tourism complex 'Eco Farmland,' which combines livestock farming, agriculture, and tourism, is expected to open in 2022 in the Hwahong Reclaimed Land area of Hwaseong City.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 3rd that the 'Eco Farmland Development Project,' which will serve as the foundation for creating sustainable new income sources in rural areas, began full-scale construction in November this year.

The 'Eco Farmland Development' is a project that Gyeonggi Province has been pursuing since 2008 in cooperation with six organizations including Hwaseong City, Korea Horse Racing Association, Suwon Hwaseong Osan Livestock Cooperative Association, Gyeonggi Southern Fisheries Cooperative, and Nongwoo Bio to discover agricultural income sources and tourism resources, create jobs, and provide a sanctuary for urban residents.

After being delayed for an extended period due to project delays in reclaimed land development, the project plan was finalized in September 2019 following the inauguration of Governor Lee Jae-myung in the seventh popular election term. With full-scale implementation of detailed design and permissions and licenses, the project was able to break ground after 12 years of stagnation.

According to this project, a livestock research and development (R&D) complex, riding horse complex, and companion animal complex will be built on a 1.19 million square meter site in the fourth district of Hwahong Reclaimed Land in Mado-myeon, Hwaseong City, with a total floor area of 39,239 square meters.

With a target completion date of March 2022, the project will be carried out with a total investment of 118.6 billion won, including 2.8 billion won in national funds and 115.8 billion won in provincial budget.

First, the 'Livestock Research and Development (R&D) Complex' with a total floor area of 29,359 square meters will house facilities dedicated to research on improving livestock productivity, including Korean cattle improvement and conservation of indigenous livestock species.

The 'Riding Horse Complex' will be built on a site with a total floor area of 8,474 square meters and will include riding horse breeding facilities, a riding horse training center, and a rehabilitation equestrian center.

The 'Companion Animal Complex' will be built with a total floor area of 1,406 square meters and will include animal protection facilities, education centers, and exercise areas that will handle education, training, protection, and adoption of stray dogs and cats.

When the Eco Farmland development project is completed and begins full operation, Gyeonggi Province expects to achieve production inducement effects of over 236 billion won, job creation effects of 1,000 people, and added value inducement effects of over 95 billion won.

A Gyeonggi Province official stated, "This project aims to present a new paradigm for reclaimed land utilization and create a future-oriented agri-livestock tourism complex that leads new growth industries in rural areas," and added, "Having broken ground after considerable effort, we will do our utmost to ensure smooth project implementation until completion."