"Crop Disaster Compensation Must Be Substantial"…Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, Proposes Improvement of Disaster Insurance

On the 20th, Improvement Requested to Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun at the 'COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' Meeting

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is attending the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 20th, delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, proposed improvements to the crop disaster insurance system to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun during a video conference of the 'Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19' on the 20th.

Governor Lee emphasized the necessity by stating, "Although this is an emergency situation due to the novel coronavirus infection, this year the damage to crops caused by climate change is also severe. Continuous natural disasters such as Typhoon Maysak (No. 9), Typhoon Haishen (No. 10), and a prolonged rainy season lasting 54 days have increased the farmers' worries."

From this year, the crop disaster insurance terms applied to four types of fruit trees including apples, pears, and persimmons have been adjusted downward from an 80% damage compensation rate to 50%, making it difficult to provide practical damage coverage for farming households. In this regard, he requested expanding the coverage period for 'wild bird damage' caused by birds or animals, which is currently compensated only until the fruit thinning stage, to include the period after fruit thinning, when actual damage is significant.

He also proposed expanding pest and disease damage coverage, which currently applies only to certain crops such as rice, potatoes, peppers, and peaches, to all fruit tree varieties including apples and jujubes, and requested extending the crop disaster insurance for apples and jujubes, currently available only in some areas like Buyeo in Chungnam and Yeonggwang in Jeonnam, to Gyeongsan in Gyeongbuk.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun responded, "If a system unfavorable to farmers is changed, it is important to promote it in advance so that many farming households are aware, and efforts are needed to minimize damage by providing a grace period accordingly. Regarding the proposed matters, I will discuss with the relevant ministries to prepare the best possible measures."

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