Jeonnam Province "Welcomes Inclusion of Small-scale Farmers and Others in the 4th Disaster Relief Fund"

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 25th that small-scale farms under 0.5 hectares and small-scale fishers were included in the government's 4th disaster relief fund recipients, which passed the National Assembly plenary session.

As a result, the province will receive a total of 28.4 billion KRW in support.

Small-scale farms under 0.5 hectares and small-scale fishers will each receive 300,000 KRW, while flower cultivation farms, school meal supply farms, horse breeding farms, and rural experience and recreation villages will each receive 1 million KRW.

With this decision, Jeonnam Province estimates that about 78,000 farmers and fishers, including 64,000 farms under 0.5 hectares and 7,000 fishers, will benefit.

Farmers and fishers have faced many difficulties due to income reductions caused by decreased agricultural product sales from COVID-19, reduced agricultural production due to various natural disasters, and increased labor costs due to the inability of foreign workers to enter the country.

Accordingly, since last month, Jeonnam Province has requested the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and other central government agencies, as well as related organizations and the Democratic Party, to include "farmers" in the government's 4th disaster relief fund recipients, providing data and seeking cooperation from government officials and local lawmakers.

They also worked to build consensus on the need to compensate for the public functions and values of agriculture, as the importance of agriculture has increased from the perspective of food security during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok stated, "Although it is regrettable that this government and National Assembly decision does not reflect universal support for all farmers, unregistered rural homestays, and AI culled farms, it is a welcome step forward compared to the initial policy of selective support for affected industries."

He added, "I thank former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon, local lawmakers, the provincial council, farmers' organizations, and the public who have supported the inclusion of farmers and fishers in the government's 4th disaster relief fund," and urged, "The government should introduce a public interest allowance for farmers and fishers as a national policy to demonstrate its commitment to fostering agriculture and fisheries, which are key national industries."

Meanwhile, to enhance the public value of agriculture, the province introduced the nation's first public interest allowance for farmers and fishers last year, providing 600,000 KRW annually per farm. As a result, most other cities and provinces nationwide have either introduced or are preparing to introduce similar public interest allowances.

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