Boseong-gun Takes Action to Help Rural Workforce Amid Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Yong-chul] Amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic causing labor shortages in agriculture in Jeonnam, public officials from a local government in Jeonnam have stepped up to help struggling farms, drawing attention.

According to Boseong County on the 16th, about 40 public officials visited tea cultivation farms experiencing labor shortages due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation and assisted with planting 5,000 tea tree seedlings.

Boseong County, known for its many tea farms, requires a large workforce for tea leaf picking and tea field management as the harvest of the highest quality new tea begins in earnest from April.

However, with the prolonged COVID-19 crisis, it has become difficult for foreign workers to enter the country, and social distancing measures have made it hard to find domestic workers, resulting in a severe labor shortage.

The representative of the tea farm where the volunteer labor assistance took place said, “We had planned to create a mechanized flat tea plantation this spring, but we have been unable to plant seedlings due to a lack of labor. During these difficult times, Boseong County public officials stepped forward, which has eased our worries,” expressing gratitude.

The county plans to operate a ‘labor assistance desk’ to share the burden with farmers and ensure that there are no disruptions to farming plans due to labor shortages ahead of the busy farming season.

Additionally, on the 20th, about 50 people including County Governor Kim Cheol-woo, Boseong County public officials, and related agency staff will visit kiwi farms in Joseong-myeon to assist with flower thinning work.

Im Jun-ho, Director of the Industrial Safety Bureau, said, “Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, farmers and fishermen are facing difficulties not only from falling agricultural product prices but also from livestock market closures and labor shortages. We will share the hardships of farmers and explore all possible measures at the local government level to share the burden.”

Meanwhile, Boseong County is providing various support measures such as early payment of 5.2 billion won in public interest allowances for farmers and fishermen affected by COVID-19, special discount events on tea products at the Boseong County online direct transaction market ‘Boseong Mall,’ and operating a labor assistance desk for rural areas.

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