Goesan County in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea, has built its own seed potato production system and is accelerating sorting work to begin supply this month, county officials announced on April 2. To ensure stable seed potato availability, the county signed an MOU with Wangsan Jongmyo, a seed potato specialist from Gangwon Province, and established production hubs in Chilseong-myeon and Cheongan-myeon. These facilities have the capacity to produce 200 tonnes of seed potatoes annually. Based on a demand survey conducted last September, the county received requests for 29 tonnes of the “Dano” variety and 30 tonnes of “Sumi.” Currently, 34 tonnes of Dano potatoes have already been sorted and secured — exceeding the requested amount — and Sumi supplies will also be delivered in full without disruption.
With the self-production system now fully operational, the county is receiving growing inquiries from farming households in other regions that have faced seed potato shortages. To prioritize local farmers, Goesan applies differentiated pricing: seed potatoes (per 20 kg box) are supplied to local farmers at 33,000 won, while farmers from other regions pay 44,000 won. The county expects that reducing distribution costs through local production will significantly lower the financial burden on local farms and ensure timely delivery of high-quality seed potatoes, allowing farmers to focus on their cultivation with peace of mind.
