Damyang-gun Expands 'Small Agricultural Machinery Support Project' as Foundation for Creating Wealthy Rural Communities

Additional Budget of 470 Million Won Secured, 50% Support for Small Agricultural Machinery Purchase Costs

County Governor Lee Byung-no of Damyang is harvesting rice using agricultural machinery. Photo by Damyang County

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Damyang-gun has laid the foundation for creating a prosperous rural community where everyone thrives by securing additional budget for the small agricultural machinery support project, which received the greatest response from farmers.

On the 19th, the county announced that it secured an additional 470 million KRW budget for the small agricultural machinery support project in the supplementary budget implemented for the first time since the launch of the 8th local government administration, expanding the project operation.

The small agricultural machinery support project aims to reduce labor through mechanization of farming operations and ease the financial burden on farmers. It supports up to 50% of the purchase cost of agricultural machinery, with a maximum limit of 3 million KRW, to farm business operators who have resided and engaged in agriculture within the jurisdiction for more than one year.

This year, the county secured 270 million KRW in the main budget and supported agricultural machinery to 208 farms in the first half of the year, but due to budget shortages, only 30% of the requested amount was supported.

Going forward, an additional 384 farms will be selected, and the project aims to support up to 80% within the year.

A county official said, “The small agricultural machinery support project is the most demanded by farmers, but the budget was insufficient compared to the requested amount. Through this supplementary budget, many farmers will receive support, which will greatly help reduce production costs for farms.”

County Governor Lee Byeongno said, “The formulation of this supplementary budget is part of the core pledge of the 8th local government administration, ‘Creating a prosperous rural community.’ We will increase the agricultural budget, which currently remains at the 20% level of the total budget, to 30%, and create a prosperous rural community through multifaceted innovations in the agricultural sector.”

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