South Gyeongsang Province announced Tuesday that the Sindeung and Sinan districts in Sancheong have been selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' 2026 paddy field multi-use water supply system project.
The paddy field multi-use water supply system project aims to establish a foundation for converting paddy fields to other crops by installing water purification and pipeline facilities in protected cultivation complexes that lack agricultural water supply and by improving existing water supply systems.
A total of 15 districts from eight cities and provinces nationwide competed for the project, with two districts ultimately selected. The Sindeung and Sinan districts in Sancheong were named as final beneficiaries. A total of 24.1 billion won ($16.7 million), including 19.3 billion won in state funding, will be invested in the area over the next five years.
Despite being a major strawberry production hub with a concentrated 223-hectare protected cultivation complex, the area has relied solely on private wells, suffering chronic challenges including water shortages and deteriorating groundwater quality.
The province expects that establishing a stable water supply foundation through water purification and pipeline facilities will improve productivity of strawberries and other protected crops, while also creating an environment where various crops can be cultivated in paddy fields instead of rice.
"This selection is an achievement brought about by both administrative efforts to advance the project and the enthusiastic response of local residents," said Jang Young-wook, director of the Agricultural Policy Bureau of South Gyeongsang Province. "We will expand the foundation for stable agricultural water supply in preparation for future climate change and contribute to increasing farm household incomes."
The Yulgok district project in Hapcheon, which was selected last year, will invest a total of 16.3 billion won ($11.3 million), beginning with a basic survey in April this year and scheduled for completion by 2031.
