Agriculture Is Still Progressing in the Present

November 11 is Farmers’ Day, although Pepero Day also comes to mind. Farmers’ Day is a legal holiday created to promote the pride of farmers and to let people know that agriculture is important. Many students probably don’t know that it’s Farmers’ Day. For these students, on the occasion of Farmers’ Day, we are going to look at the history of agriculture and what technology is being introduced and developed today to benefit agriculture.

First, let’s look at the history of agriculture. The Neolithic Age is called the starting point of early farming. The Neolithic Age of Korea began before 8,000 B.C and people produced food directly through raising livestock and farming. They typically built a dugout hut near the sea or a river where there was abundant water and food, and lived as a community. During the Bronze Age, farming was mainly done in the fields, and the productivity of farming increased. The Iron Age was a period of full-scale rice farming, and the development of iron farming tools was rapid. People in this age used iron farming tools to cut deeply into the land, so they could increase the productivity of farming. Dams were built to expand the land area into wide plains and valleys. Through this development during the Iron Age, societies, such as the Buyeo, Samhan, etc., were formed.

In the Three Kingdoms of Korea period, society gradually developed in various ways through the use of iron farming tools and weapons. In the Three Kingdoms and Gaya periods of Korea, iron farming tools such as the hoe and pickax were widely used throughout the country. At the end of the 7th century, unified Silla and Balhae developed labor-intensive industries and commerce to mass produce goods, and they improved farming techniques due to the universalization of farming with cows and water installations. In the Goryeo era, the expansion of traditional farming occurred. After the reunification of the three kingdoms, Goryeo further strengthened its policy of placing importance on agriculture, which was the basis for financial stability, and expanded its arable land by reclaiming land. In the Joseon era, scientific farming methods were developed. The typical farming innovations were the method of fertilizer application, rice planting and direct planting. Fertilizer application is the technique of putting manure into a rice field to help the crops grow. Rice planting refers to the method in which seedlings were first grown in seedbeds, and then transferred to the rice paddies after a certain period of time. Direct planting occurs when rice seeds are sprinkled directly on rice paddies, and then continue to grow there without transplanting them first.

How does agriculture operate today? Agricultural science is developing by converging with ICT (Information and Communication Technology) such as big data and AI. One development is the smart farm. The smart farm refers to a farm that can automatically manage the environment by applying ICT to green houses and livestock. With the introduction of smart farms, production increased greatly per unit area and quality improved. As such, farmers can produce a high output of good quality products with a smaller workforce through the use of technology. In addition, e-commerce has enabled direct trading in virtual markets configured on the Internet. It is very economical in that it can reduce distribution costs. Moreover, it does not require middlemen, and there are no time or region limits. Also, farmers can post their farming processes and study methods on social media. Consumers can come to trust the quality of the items produced by reading these writings, and this leads to purchases. The farmers also use social media to share information and consult with other farmers who grow the same crops.

 Agriculture is not an easy industry, but it will be an area where new jobs can be created for young people due to its high potential for development. The Ministry of Agriculture has created a system for young people who want to start farming, allowing them to rent farmland or receive education and consulting on agriculture. As agriculture is a basic part of us, we hope that the value of agriculture will be widely known because it is an important industry in our lives.

71st Reporter•KIM JIN•coo0714@naver.com