Direct Payment for Eco-Friendly Farming Applications Open from the 2nd... Period Extended Due to COVID-19

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 2nd that it will accept applications for the 'Eco-friendly Agriculture Direct Payment' to support income stability for eco-friendly farmers until the 30th of next month. This year, due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the application period has been extended from the usual one month to two months.

Farmers certified for eco-friendly agricultural products can submit their application form along with a copy of the eco-friendly agricultural product certification to the town, township, or neighborhood office of the city, county, or district where their farmland is located. The direct payments will be made in November this year after compliance inspections (from May to October) by the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service and eco-friendly agricultural product certification agencies.

This year, the budget for the Eco-friendly Agriculture Direct Payment is 22.8 billion KRW, and payments vary according to certification level (organic, pesticide-free), type of land (rice paddy or field), and crop type. For fruit trees, which are difficult to cultivate eco-friendly, organic certification receives 1.4 million KRW per hectare (ha), pesticide-free certification receives 1.2 million KRW per hectare, and for other vegetables, specialty crops, and other crops, organic certification receives 1.3 million KRW, pesticide-free 1.1 million KRW. For rice paddies, organic certification receives 700,000 KRW per hectare, pesticide-free 500,000 KRW per hectare, and the organic continuation direct payment is 50% of the organic direct payment amount.

Farmers who apply for the Eco-friendly Agriculture Direct Payment must maintain their certification through renewal or changes during the project period (January 1 to October 31) to receive the payment. If the certification changes (e.g., from pesticide-free to organic), a copy of the updated certification issued by the certification agency must be attached and a change report submitted to the relevant town, township, or neighborhood office. If there are changes in the certification holder, certification agency, or farmland status, submitting a change report is necessary to avoid disadvantages.

In particular, this year, to minimize inconvenience for farmers applying for direct payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the application period has been extended from one month to two months (March 2 to April 30). A Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs official stated, "We hope that all eligible farmers apply within the application period to avoid any disadvantages," adding, "If it is found that direct payments were received through false or fraudulent means, the payments will be reclaimed and future applications will be restricted. Therefore, it is essential that eco-friendly farmers strictly comply with certification standards and other requirements."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.