Sancheong-gun Eco-Friendly Rice Farming Households... Support for Water Management 'Improved Water Channels'

Easy Water Level and Snail Management, Expect Labor Reduction

Eco-friendly Rice Harvest
[Image Source=Sancheong-gun]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province announced on the 1st that it will promote the ‘Improved Water Gate’ support project to enable efficient water management for eco-friendly rice farming households and prevent the outflow of apple snails.

This support project aims to address labor shortages due to aging rural populations by providing devices that allow easy adjustment of the water level in rice paddies.

According to the county, the improved water gate is a plastic-type improved product that allows easy adjustment of the water level in rice paddies according to the growth stages of rice. Once installed, it can be used semi-permanently, reducing labor and costs associated with water gate management.

In particular, it is equipped with a barrier that blocks the external outflow of apple snails used as eco-friendly farming materials, reducing the inconvenience for farmers who have to collect apple snails every year to prevent ecological disruption.

This project is being promoted using prize money received after the county was selected as an excellent ecological farming city/county by the province in 2020.

After collecting opinions from eco-friendly rice farming households, applications were accepted starting in February, beneficiaries were confirmed in March, and supply to farms is planned to be completed between April and May.

The total supply quantity is 835 improved water gates, with a unit price of about 50,000 KRW each. Farmers only need to bear 10% of the cost, which is 5,000 KRW.

A county official said, “We hope this will reduce the labor burden for farmers struggling with water level adjustment in rice paddies and apple snail management for eco-friendly farming methods,” adding, “We will continue to contribute to reducing labor and increasing income for farmers practicing eco-friendly agriculture.”

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