This Year, Foreign Agricultural Workforce Increases by 73%... Domestic Workforce Also Expected to Expand by 20%

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Checks Labor Supply Trends During Peak Farming Season

The scale of foreign workforce introduction this year has increased by 73% compared to the previous year. The government also plans to expand the domestic labor supply by 20% compared to last year.

Kim In-jung, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, visited Osu Gwanchon Nonghyup and chili pepper farms in Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk on the 2nd to check the progress of the public seasonal labor project during the busy farming season and labor supply and demand trends.

To solve rural labor issues, the government expanded the number of Rural Labor Brokerage Centers (rural type) from 154 locations last year to 170 this year, and launched the Urban-Rural Labor Brokerage Platform service in February. Additionally, the government increased the allocation and early supply of foreign labor and expanded the public seasonal labor project to 19 locations this year.

Osu Gwanchon Nonghyup, selected for the second year in a row for the public seasonal labor pilot project last year and the main project this year, plans to operate with 32 seasonal workers from Vietnam until September. The public seasonal labor in Imsil-gun supplies labor to farms requiring short-term workers during the busy farming season for peaches, chili peppers, strawberries, and others based on farm demand surveys, helping to alleviate labor cost burdens for farmers.

Vice Minister Kim In-jung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "Active efforts and organic cooperation among local governments, Nonghyup, and related organizations are important to ensure smooth labor supply during the peak farming season. We ask related organizations such as local governments and Nonghyup to precisely identify labor demand in advance and supply labor timely to prevent any gaps in rural labor shortages, and the government will also spare no effort."

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