KT&G Supports Leaf Tobacco Farmers with 'Health Checkup Fees and Children's Scholarships'

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] KT&G announced on the 1st that it delivered approximately 480 million KRW in welfare promotion support funds on the 28th of last month to continuously coexist with domestic tobacco leaf farmers.

Recently, farmers have been facing difficulties securing labor due to the declining rural population, aging issues, and the added crisis of the COVID-19 resurgence. Especially this year, KT&G increased the scale of support by providing funds for the purchase of 84 wind-shielding heat fuel reduction devices, which help reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions for farms. Since 2013, KT&G has delivered welfare promotion support funds annually to tobacco leaf farmers, totaling 3.336 billion KRW to date. The cumulative number of cultivators who received health checkup expenses and scholarships for their children amounts to 10,666.

In addition, as part of its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management, KT&G is making various efforts for mutual growth with tobacco leaf farmers, its raw material supply partners. It is the only tobacco company operating domestically that purchases domestic tobacco leaves to protect farmers, and every year it dispatches employee volunteer teams during the tobacco leaf transplanting and harvesting seasons to assist with labor.

Kim Jeong-ho, Head of KT&G Raw Materials Division, said, "The company has continuously engaged in various activities to coexist with farmers," adding, "We will continue to pursue mutual growth through support activities that provide practical help to farmers."

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