Pocheon City Council criticizes food support center performance

The Pocheon City Council has concluded its 196th regular session, during which officials raised significant concerns regarding the underperformance of the Food Integrated Support Center. Council member Choi Hong-hwa highlighted that despite a construction cost of 6.86 billion won, the center has failed to meet its operational targets.

Data presented by Choi indicates that between 2023 and 2025, the actual pre-processing volume was only 232 tons, far below the target of 937 tons. Furthermore, the shipment rate for contract-cultivated products in 2025 was reported at just 14%. Financial reports showed that out of approximately 1.6 billion won in allocated budget, only about 900 million won was executed, with total revenue from sales and fees amounting to 170 million won.

Council members urged the administration to conduct an objective diagnosis of the center’s profit structure and facility utilization. Proposed solutions include exploring private sector outsourcing and addressing issues such as insufficient storage, labor shortages, and lack of price competitiveness. The council also addressed broader budgetary concerns, including the need to reduce budget carryovers and ensure the appropriate use of reserve funds.