• [Visit] Park Beom-ho, CEO of Hosan Vision

Korean rice planting methods have changed. Transplanters equipped with LCD touchscreens can now apply slow-release, coated fertilizer simultaneously with transplanting. Electronic remote-controlled and digitally controlled herbicide sprayers can also perform weeding simultaneously. An easily deployable, straight-line autonomous driving kit allows the machine to autonomously navigate, using GPS, for accurate and rapid planting.

Hosan Vision, a purely domestic technology company, provides precision agriculture solutions that integrate cutting-edge technologies like IT and AI into rice farming. Founded in 2003, Hosan Vision was the first to develop a domestically produced fertilizer at a time when only Japanese-made fertilizers were available. For over 20 years, it has been a partner to rice farmers.

Park Beom-ho, the second president of Hosan Vision, said, “Every year, April through June is a fierce battle.” From Gangwon Province, where early-maturing rice varieties are planted, to Jindo and Haenam, the southernmost tip of the country, rice must be planted on time to ensure a proper harvest. Park explained, “Since the side-fertilizer is a key attachment for rice farming machinery, our local dealers and headquarters staff dedicate themselves to providing after-sales service.”

Hosan Vision’s irrigation system has evolved to its seventh generation and now holds the top market share, surpassing Japanese products. Since 2021, the company has expanded into China, exporting hundreds of units annually and laying the foundation for establishing a Chinese subsidiary.

“Aside from its slightly lower price compared to Japanese products, it offers many advantages. First and foremost is smooth communication with consumers. The current fertilizer reflects the needs of farmers over the past 20 years. It can be installed on all riding rice transplanters (6-row and 8-row), both domestic and Japanese. Parts are up to one-fifth the price of Japanese products. Faster after-sales service is another advantage.”

Launched in 2023, the first herbicide sprayer capable of simultaneously transplanting rice was developed in Korea. While it received positive responses domestically, its export to China through a state-owned enterprise became a major topic of conversation.

For a small- to mid-sized company to invest directly in developing agricultural machinery in a small market was a challenge in itself and a time of great hardship. Hosan Vision is taking steps toward the future without hesitation. The desire to create the agricultural machinery needed by Korean farmers is leading to the development of cutting-edge agricultural solutions.

This year, in particular, the “Compass,” an autonomous driving solution, was put to the test for the first time in the market. The Compass attracted attention as a straight-line autonomous driving kit that can be attached to rice transplanters and tractors. Notably, rather than relying solely on GPS transmitters, the system incorporated a mobile transmitter, increasing the number of satellites and reducing communication interruptions.

We also received positive feedback from farmers who installed the system, saying, “It’s not difficult to operate, and you can work at the exact desired planting interval,” “You don’t have to worry about driving, so it’s less tiring,” and “Working time and labor costs have been greatly reduced.”

Hosan Vision aims to become a total solution provider for precision agriculture, focusing on rice farming machinery. Its development, in collaboration with the Rural Development Administration and Daedong, will be completed between 2022 and 2024. Based on its performance, the company was selected for this year’s Agricultural Technology Evaluation and Planning Project. The company is developing a method for adjusting the optimal composition and dosage of fertilizer for each soil composition through soil depth analysis, along with the development of a machine specifically tailored to this application.

Following the development of the herbicide sprayer, the company is also independently developing Korea’s first simultaneous rice transplanting sterilization and insecticide sprayer. CEO Park stated, “We conducted test beds in four locations and achieved positive results.” He added that the company plans to debut the device at a domestic exhibition this year and begin distribution next year.

We also signed an MOU with a leading domestic fertilizer company that produces coated, slow-release fertilizers. The goal is to establish a partnership that will enable customers who purchase Hosan Vision’s side-by-side fertilizers to naturally continue using the partner company’s coated fertilizers. Furthermore, we aim to develop a field crop fertilizer application system that will expand our market share.

As an alternative to solving the environmental problems of coated fertilizers, a method of applying fertilizer using a type of water tank containing liquid fertilizer is also being devised.

They also announced a challenge for the four-part agricultural equipment market starting next year. Having prepared for a long period of time, they plan to develop this into a component of Hosan Vision’s total precision agriculture solution.

CEO Park countered, “With digital smart agriculture becoming a major trend, if we give up one of our products to foreign ones, wouldn’t domestic products lose even more ground due to data compatibility issues?” He is partnering with comprehensive agricultural machinery companies and leveraging a wide range of data to accelerate the development of precision agriculture solutions, preparing for the future of sustainable Korean agriculture.