Hapcheon-gun Provides Emergency Labor Cost Support for Garlic and Onion Harvesting

Up to 700,000 KRW per farm, 10,000 KRW support per worker

Emergency Labor Cost Support for Garlic and Onion Harvesting
[Image Source=Hapcheon-gun]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province, has urgently allocated 520 million won to support part of the labor costs for farmers facing difficulties due to labor shortages and rising wages caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) during the harvest of their main crops, garlic and onions.

Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the outflow of foreign workers has led to a shortage of rural labor. Additionally, frequent recent rains have softened the soil, making it impossible to use harvesting machinery. As a result, garlic and onions are being harvested manually, requiring three to four times more labor than before.

The garlic harvest, which should have been completed by the end of May, has been delayed by more than ten days, causing some garlic to rot or split, reducing its marketability.

In response, the county is temporarily supporting labor costs for garlic and onion harvesting by providing up to 700,000 won per farm, with 10,000 won per worker, thereby helping farms struggling with rising labor costs to maintain stable farming operations.

Along with this, to address the shortage of rural labor, the county has established and operates Rural Employment Support Centers at the Rural Labor Bank, Hapcheon Dongbu Nonghyup, and Hapcheon Ho Nonghyup, mediating about 5,600 rural workers. With the cooperation of public officials, related organizations, schools, and volunteer groups, more than 1,500 people are participating in rural labor assistance to support farms.

An official from the Agricultural Technology Center said, “We ask for active participation in rural labor assistance to help farms suffering from triple hardships due to COVID-19, so that we can provide some support to rural areas facing labor shortages.”

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