Yeongyang County Makes All-Out Efforts to Build a Prosperous Farming Community

Yeongyang County in North Gyeongsang Province is expanding agricultural support measures, such as farm work agency teams and seasonal workers, to alleviate the difficulties faced by farmers who are struggling with both an aging population and a labor shortage.

Over the three years of the 8th popularly elected administration, the county operated farm work agency teams across 1,061 hectares and, up to last year, supported 1,953 seasonal workers for 697 farming households, helping to resolve the local labor shortage.

Implementation of Farm Work Agency Service.

Yeongyang County, 423 Foreign Seasonal Workers Arrive. Photo by Yeongyang County

This year, a record-high 1,035 seasonal workers have arrived to assist with farming during the busy season. The county has also constructed a dormitory in Ibam-myeon that can accommodate 85 agricultural workers, and plans to operate it as a public manpower brokerage center to provide stable support for agricultural labor.

In addition, to prepare for abnormal weather conditions, the county is promoting a rice farming generalization project in Seokbo-myeon, where leafy vegetable farming is prevalent, to ensure a stable supply of agricultural water. To drive a major shift from labor-intensive to technology-intensive agriculture, Yeongyang County is also establishing smart agricultural production infrastructure, such as smart farms for chili peppers and specialized complexes for leafy vegetables and fruits.

County Governor Oh Dochang stated, "Farming is becoming increasingly difficult due to labor shortages and rapid climate change," and added, "Yeongyang County will overcome these crises and increase agricultural income by expanding worker support programs and leading the transition to smart agriculture."

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