Busan holds 39th Farmers Day ceremony at Daejeo Ecological Park

Busan's Agricultural Technology Center announced Friday that it will hold the 39th Busan Farmers Day ceremony on Oct. 28 at the lawn plaza of Daejeo Ecological Park, drawing more than 1,200 farmers from across the city.

This year's event carries the theme "Connecting Generations, Opening the Future of Busan Agriculture," and is designed to pass on the experience and wisdom of veteran farmers to the next generation while sharing a vision for Busan agriculture as it adapts to a changing environment.

The program includes the Busan Farmer of the Year and Outstanding Farmer awards, a future-vision declaration ceremony for Busan agriculture, a rice-gifting event called "Children Raised on Busan Rice," a community gathering for farmers, and a range of exhibitions and side events.

At the future-vision declaration ceremony, farmers and young agricultural workers will mark the bridging of generational experience and technology. The "Children Raised on Busan Rice" event will also take place, presenting a quantity of locally grown rice equal to a newborn's birth weight to celebrate new births in Busan.

This year's Busan Farmer of the Year award went to Kim Yong-hyun of Gangseo-gu and Kim Eok-hye of Gijang-gun, selected after a comprehensive review of public opinion, community contributions, leadership among farmers, and commitment to science-based and sustainable farming practices.

Kim Yong-hyun has been active since 2014 in the Daejeo District 1 Rural Leaders Association and the CN Tomato Eco-Friendly Farming Research Group, working to spread environmentally friendly cultivation techniques. He received the Rural Development Administration commissioner's award for academic excellence at an agricultural college and a top prize at the Daejeo Tomato Festival quality competition, and has contributed to raising the profile of Daejeo tomatoes through science-based farming and technology transfer to younger growers.

Kim Eok-hye has cultivated a variety of crops in the Jangan area of Gijang-gun for 35 years since 1991. She joined the local lifestyle improvement association in the mid-1990s and has served as chair of the Gijang-gun chapter since 2025, contributing to the empowerment of rural women.

The Agricultural Technology Center also named 11 additional farmers as Outstanding Farmers in recognition of their contributions to advancing farmers' rights and developing local agriculture and rural communities.