Gurye-gun '5 Years Since Eco-Friendly Agriculture City Declaration' Agricultural Budget Increased by 30%... 60 Billion Won Invested This Year

Establishment of a 18 Billion KRW Eco-Friendly Organic Farming Complex Town by This Year
Strengthening Infrastructure for Eco-Friendly and Organic Farming and Support for Farmers

Layout of Gurye-gun Eco-friendly Organic Farming Complex Town (Photo by Gurye-gun)

[Gurye=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yuk Miseok] On the 14th, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it will strengthen agricultural competitiveness by investing 60 billion won in the agricultural and forestry budget this year, marking the 5th anniversary of the declaration of an eco-friendly agricultural city.

This year, the agricultural, forestry, marine, and fisheries budget accounts for about 20% of Gurye-gun's main budget. Since the first declaration of an eco-friendly agricultural city in April 2017, the budget has increased by 18.5 billion won (based on the 2018 main budget).

With the increased budget, the county plans to foster eco-friendly agriculture centered on organic farming and focus on stabilizing farmers' management. As a core project, 18 billion won will be invested to create an eco-friendly organic agriculture complex, with plans to build organic farming experience facilities, organic farming and marketing centers by this year.

Last year, the eco-friendly certification area in Gurye-gun was 1,126 hectares, accounting for 21% of the total cultivated area, and this year, the eco-friendly certification area is planned to be increased to 1,283 hectares.

To this end, support for eco-friendly and organic farms will be strengthened, with additional direct payments provided to eco-friendly and organic farms. Additional shipment incentives will also be provided to eco-friendly rice contract farming households.

Through various support projects such as providing baby apple snails and organic fertilizers, and supplying organic farming materials to eco-friendly fruit tree and facility horticulture farms, the county aims to increase the ratio of eco-friendly organic farming.

Active investment will also be made in fostering major specialty products such as cucumber, zucchini, and cornelian cherry. A customized smart farm pilot complex for cucumbers will be established, and support will be provided for installing incubators for zucchini. Support for specialized income crops such as facility potatoes, domestic wheat, and paddy soybeans will also be strengthened.

For the stabilization of farmers' management, the county will provide 37.9 billion won in public direct payments, public benefits allowances for farmers and fishermen, and management stabilization funds for rice farming households, and plans to create a 5 billion won fund by 2024 to guarantee minimum prices for agricultural products.

Additionally, to create a returning rural community and respond to rural population decline, various benefits such as housing repair support and settlement agricultural facility support will be provided to returnees and new settlers to help them settle stably.

Kim Sun-ho, the governor of Gurye-gun, said, “Eco-friendly organic agriculture is a major industry and a future growth industry of Gurye-gun. We will invest diversely in creating an eco-friendly organic agriculture complex town, fostering specialized crops, and stabilizing farmers' management to develop into an eco-friendly organic agriculture city.”

Gurye=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yuk Miseok kun5783@asiae.co.kr

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