Gyeonggi-do to Implement 'Public Interest Direct Payment System' for Farmers Next Month

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will implement the 'Public Interest Direct Payment System,' a basic income guarantee type that provides direct payments regardless of area to farms below a certain scale, starting from the 1st of next month.

This follows the passage of the "Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Preservation of Agricultural Income" amendment at the Cabinet meeting on the 21st.

The Public Interest Direct Payment System is designed to induce the creation of public benefits for people and the environment through agricultural activities such as food safety, environmental conservation, and rural maintenance. It is divided into the Basic Direct Payment System and the Selective Direct Payment System, providing direct payments to farmers, corporations, and farmland registered in agricultural management information.

According to the amendment, small-scale farms meeting certain conditions with farmland areas of 5,000㎡ (1,500 pyeong) or less will receive an annual small farm direct payment of 1.2 million KRW regardless of area. For other farmers, area-based direct payments ranging from 1 million to 2.05 million KRW per hectare will be provided, with differential rates applied so that the payment unit price decreases as the standard area increases.

The Public Interest Direct Payment applications will be accepted at the administrative welfare centers of towns, townships, and neighborhoods in each city and county from the 1st of next month until the end of June. From July to October, compliance inspections for activity obligations will be conducted, and payments will be made in December.

The activity obligations applied to direct payment recipients cover a total of 17 items across fields such as environmental protection, ecological conservation, community revitalization, and food safety. Failure to comply will result in a 10% reduction of the total direct payment amount per non-compliance item. Repeated violations may lead to a reduction of up to 40% of the total direct payment amount.

The province explained that unlike the past 'Rice, Field, and Disadvantaged Condition Direct Payment System,' which paid direct payments to farmers proportional to farmland area, this Public Interest Direct Payment System can be seen as a basic income guarantee type direct payment system because it provides an annual direct payment of 1.2 million KRW regardless of area to farms meeting certain conditions.

Kim Ki-jong, head of the Eco-friendly Agriculture Division of the province, emphasized, "Although this is the first time implementing the Public Interest Direct Payment System, we will do our best to quickly establish the system and support direct payments, especially during a time when many residents are facing difficulties due to COVID-19."

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province plans to prioritize the safety of farmers who must submit applications in person by accepting subsidy applications in stages by village.

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