시설원예 생산자재 산업의 현황과 발전방안

Abstract

시설원예산업은 우리나라 농가소득 증대에 크게 기여하였고, 신선농산물 수출의 견인차 역할을 충실히 수행하고 있다. 이러한 시설원예농업의 경쟁력을 높이기 위해서는 생산비 절감과 생산 농산물의 품질과 증산이 이루어져야한다. 이를 위해서는 그 후방산업인 시설원예 생산자재산업의 역할이 매우 중요하다.

그럼에도 불구하고 시설원예 생산자재 산업에 대해서는 심층적인 연구가 부족하였고 정책적 관심도 적었던 것이 사실이다. 현실적으로 시설자재별 생산, 유통 및 수출입 등 기본적인 통계도 부재하는 등 현황 파악조차 어려운 실정이다. 시설원예산업의 발전과정은 자재산업의 발전과 그 궤를 같이 하고 있고 향후 그 발전 전략도 자재산업의 발전 없이는 달성하기 어렵다.

이 연구는 다양한 시설원예 생산자재산업의 개황을 살펴보고, 주요 생산자재인 농업용 필름, 보온자재 및 농업용 강관을 중심으로 산업의 주체인 생산업체들과 수요자인 농가를 대상으로 현황과 실태 및 문제점을 분석하여 산업의 발전방안을 강구하고자 하였다.

Background of Research Competitiveness of Korean greenhouse industries can be enhanced by reducing production costs and improving quality of products. To this end, the role of the material industries for greenhouses is very important as an upstream industry. However, strategies and policies for developing the material industry have not been fully studied. Therefore, it is necessary to establish strategies and programs to cope with future demands and for development by examining the current situation and issues involved in the material industry for protected cultivation of horticulture crops. This study focuses on insulation materials including agricultural films (so-called vinyl in Korean), nonwoven fabrics and steel pipes for agriculture as essential production materials for greenhouse industries in Korea. This focus aims to examine the current industrial structure of the material industry and issues involved, and suggest strategies and policy programs.

Methodology of Research Data and literature of related authorities including the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Rural Development Administration (RDA) were collected and analyzed to examine the current market structure of the material industry for protected cultivation of horticulture crops. In addition, an analysis was made of the data of related manufacturer associations and Nonghyup including the Korea Plastics Film Association, the Korea Iron & Steel Association, the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative, the Korea Agricultural Facilities Association and the Korea Agricultural Material Industry Association. An in-depth interview survey was carried out with main material manufacturers and farmers of protected cultivation of horticulture crops who are consumers of the materials to make an analysis of current production and involved issues of manufacturers of each material, current consumers, issues and improvement schemes. In addition, meetings and conferences were held with participants from the Research Institute of Greenhouse Horticulture of the National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science of RDA, Nonghyup and experts of each manufacturer association to collect experts’ opinion about issues in each industry and strategies for improvement. In this study, examination is also made of policies for protected cultivation of horticulture crops of Japan and development process of key materials of Japan of which the facility environment is similar to Korea. Opinions of experts in their concerned field were collected and are applied to this study to suggest implications of the material industry of Korea.

Result of Research and Implications This study aims to examine current market structure and issues in the key material industry as a downstream industry of protected cultivation of horticulture crops of Korea, and suggest supplementary schemes for development and policy programs. It is considered that the future of the material industry of protected horticulture goes with the outlook of the protected horticulture industry. The long-term prospect of installed facility area for protected cultivation shows staying at the current area or a slight increase from the current area. Therefore, it is estimated that the material industry of protected horticulture will also show development of a similar tendency. The material industry of protected horticulture of Korea leads development of the protected horticulture industry by stably supplying quality products and developing various highly-functional products in less favorable circumstances. It is necessary to establish corresponding strategies for enhancing competitiveness for material industry development. First, it is essential to reduce expenses through joint purchase of raw materials and joint funding, and isolation of excessive facilities from manufacturing sites. In addition, it is necessary to make a multi-dimensional effort for switching industrial structure which causes too much competition and establishing measures for efficient distribution. Another effort required is to efficiently and effectively share environmental levies for recycling and disposing materials which can be total costs of the protected horticulture industry. It is very urgent to develop and provide high-quality, high-functional and labor-saving materials to cope with changing agricultural conditions and consumer’s needs in Korea and other countries to establish a platform of the future-oriented industry. It is also necessary to select and foster industry-university-research collaboration projects and specialized enterprises for developing the aforementioned products. In addition, it is necessary to create a basis for stable domestic demands, for example, modernizing old facilities and providing high-quality, high-efficiency and reliable materials produced in Korea. It is necessary to find overseas markets for export to expand the scale of material market for protected cultivation of horticulture crops. The protected horticulture industry of Korea has developed with government’s positive efforts. Continuing development requires consistent policies of the government and enforcement thereof. It is also necessary to make gradual efforts for maintaining paddy bases to provide and standardize the materials, establishing standardization schemes for greenhouses particular to Korea, fusion and combination of the future-oriented life industry and high-tech industry, and fostering specialized human resources.

Researchers: Suh Daeseok and Kang Changyong Research period: 2015. 1. ~ 2015. 10. E-mail address: dssuh@krei.re.kr and cykang@krei.re.kr