Cheongdo and Gyeongsan Step Up Full Support for 'Rural Manpower Assistance' as Farming Season Begins

Easing the Burden on Elderly Farmers
with Peach Thinning and Grape Shoot Trimming

Cheongdo County and Gyeongsan City have launched large-scale volunteer activities to support farms struggling with labor shortages as the busy farming season gets underway.

On May 15, around 30 employees from the Cheongdo County Agricultural Technology Center supported peach thinning work in the Shindo-ri area of Cheongdo-eup.

(From the left) Thirty employees from the Cheongdo County Agricultural Technology Center are performing peach thinning work. Members of the Gyeongsan City Women's Volunteer Activity Center are volunteering in a vineyard. Provided by Cheongdo County and Gyeongsan City

Peach thinning is essential for producing high-quality fruit but requires a concentrated labor force within a short period, making it especially helpful for elderly farmers who face difficulties securing enough workers.

The county is currently operating an on-site support system based at the Rural Job Support Center and local towns and townships.

In particular, the county is focusing its administrative efforts on alleviating the seasonal labor shortage by actively connecting manpower through business agreements (MOUs) with local civic organizations, as well as utilizing the Cheongdo Nonghyup and Dongcheongdo Nonghyup Rural Manpower Centers to run a specialized manpower brokerage system.

On the same day, about 20 members of the Gyeongsan City Women's Resource Activity Center (led by Director Kim Yunhee) also visited a grape farm in Seonhwa-ri, Jinryang-eup to lend their support.

Despite the hot weather, the members assisted with grape shoot thinning, experiencing firsthand the difficulties faced by farms suffering from labor shortages.

The Gyeongsan City Women's Resource Activity Center, which regularly engages in talent-sharing and meal service activities, put the spirit of community cooperation into practice through this farm assistance effort. The center also leads local welfare initiatives by donating proceeds from its monthly 'Baepuri Sharing Market.'

An official from the local government stated, "At a time when securing labor is critical due to the aging rural population, the voluntary participation of public officials and volunteer groups is expected to provide real help to farms," adding, "We will continue to promote manpower brokerage and on-site support to ensure timely farming operations in the future."

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