Jeonnam Province Accelerates Crop Damage Assessment After Extreme Heavy Rain

Mainly Rice, Paddy Soybeans, and Vegetables...
Report to Local Township or District Office by July 30

A melon house facility in Gokseong-eup suffered significant damage due to heavy rain. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province announced that it will conduct damage assessments until July 30 to restore crops affected by the extreme heavy rain that lasted from July 16 to July 20.

This heavy rainfall brought an average precipitation of 224mm to the Jeonnam region, with Gokseong recording the highest amount at 446mm.

As of July 22, the provisional total area of crop damage in Jeonnam Province was calculated to be 7,786.8 hectares. Of this, 7,764.7 hectares suffered from flooding, accounting for the majority, while 22.1 hectares were lost or buried.

By city and county, the damage was as follows: Sinan 2,008 hectares, Hampyeong 1,496.8 hectares, Naju 1,309.4 hectares, and Yeonggwang 760 hectares. By crop type, the affected areas were: rice 6,531.7 hectares (83.9%), paddy soybeans 486.3 hectares, vegetables 263.2 hectares, and fruit trees 114.9 hectares.

Jeonnam Province cited the main causes of the damage as localized extreme rainfall leading to overflow of drainage channels and embankments in farmland, as well as a rise in the water level of the Yeongsan River. The province especially noted that flooding damage was concentrated in cities and counties with Yeongsan River tributaries.

Farmers affected by the disaster must report to the local township or district office where their farmland is located by July 30.

Depending on the type of crop damage, disaster relief funds will be provided as follows per hectare: between 1 million and 3 million won for pesticide costs, and between 4 million and 9 million won for replanting costs. Additionally, depending on the damage rate, livelihood support (1.87 million won for a family of four), as well as deferment of agricultural policy fund repayments and interest reduction (one year for 30-49% damage, two years for 50% or more), will also be provided.

Jeonnam Province plans to not only provide prompt recovery support to help affected farmers quickly resume normal farming operations, but also to continue efforts to prepare for natural disasters such as typhoons or heavy rain during the summer. These efforts include ongoing inspections of disaster-prone facilities, encouraging enrollment in crop disaster insurance, and supporting manpower from the private sector, government, and military for emergency recovery for farmers who request assistance.

Yoo Deokgyu, Director of the Food and Horticulture Division of Jeonnam Province, said, "We will mobilize all administrative resources to provide rapid recovery support to help ease the difficulties of farmers who suffered significant damage from the sudden heavy rain."

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