Suncheon City Takes the Lead in Resolving Labor Shortage as Full-Scale Farming Season Begins

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Heo Seok) announced on the 8th that it will operate a 'Rural Labor Assistance Referral Desk' at the Suncheon Agricultural Technology Center and the Eup/Myeon Administrative Welfare Centers until the end of this month to help rural areas struggling with labor shortages during the spring farming season.

This year, due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the entry of seasonal workers has been restricted, and the high-intensity social distancing measures have further exacerbated the labor shortage.

The city plans to receive applications from farms seeking labor assistance at the Rural Labor Assistance Referral Desk, connect volunteers and other rural labor support applicants with farms, and support the shortage of rural labor during the busy farming season while expanding opportunities for urban-rural exchange, experience, and sharing.

In addition, all city hall employees and local institutions and organizations have participated in helping with labor-intensive tasks such as plum picking, potato and onion harvesting, targeting farms with disabled or elderly farmers.

In particular, to minimize the burden on farms due to rural labor assistance and to ensure efficient work, lunch boxes and work tools were prepared in advance, and support personnel were distributed according to on-site conditions to improve work efficiency.

A city official said, “As the rural population ages, the labor shortage is becoming increasingly severe, and despite rising wages, it remains difficult for farmers to find labor. We ask many citizens and institutions and organizations to show active interest and participation to help these farmers.”

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