All Gokseong-gun Employees Join Hands to Support Rural Farm Work

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] With the farming season underway, all employees of Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Yoo Geun-gi) announced on the 11th that they are conducting volunteer work to assist farms experiencing labor shortages.

Labor shortages during the busy farming season have always been a common issue. Anyone living in rural areas often hears proverbs like "even a cat's paw is borrowed" or "even a fire poker comes out to help." However, recently, the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted labor supply, further exacerbating difficulties for farmers. In response, local government officials have rolled up their sleeves to provide as much support as possible during the busy farming period.

In Gokseong-gun, each department and township is identifying the labor needs of farms facing shortages and plans to continue volunteer assistance until June. As the local government takes the lead, other organizations in the region are also joining the labor support relay. Since April, more than 400 employees from related institutions such as the county office, the Nonghyup (National Agricultural Cooperative Federation), and the Agricultural Products Quality Management Service have participated in tasks including harvesting plums, thinning apples, and removing pear shoots.

A Mr. A, who farms plums in Gokseong-gun, said, "Despite the hot weather, they have helped diligently as if it were their own work, and I am truly grateful." A representative from the Gokseong-gun Agricultural Policy Division stated, "I feel shy about how much help we are actually providing since we are inexperienced. However, if we can be even a small support to the farmers, that alone is very rewarding. To minimize the hardships caused by labor shortages, we will continue to cooperate with not only the county office but also related organizations and groups to assist farms."

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