Buan-gun Officials Support Garlic and Scallion Farms with Manpower During Farming Season

"Supporting Rural Labor Amid Aging Population and Rising Wages"
Helping Alleviate Farm Workforce Shortages During the Busy Season

As the full-scale farming season begins, public officials in Buan-gun, Jeonbuk, are heading to rural areas to help alleviate labor shortages. With the peak period for labor-intensive tasks such as garlic scape removal and scallion harvesting underway, employees from various departments are visiting farms in person to lend a hand and communicate directly with farmers on site.

Recently, the trend of local government officials assisting with farm labor has been spreading nationwide. As rural depopulation and seasonal labor shortages intensify, there has been a growing number of cases where local governments and public institutions participate in providing manpower support during the busy farming season. In particular, the Jeonbuk region, where labor-intensive field crops such as garlic, onions, and scallions account for a significant portion of agriculture, is known for its concentrated demand for labor in the spring.

Twelve employees from the Autonomous Administration Office of Buan County in Jeonbuk visited a garlic farm spanning 2,500 pyeong located in Sinheung-ri, Buan-eup, to assist with the removal of garlic scapes. Photo by Buan County Office

On May 19, the Culture and Arts Department of Buan-gun visited a local garlic farm to assist with the removal of garlic scapes. Employees gathered at the farm early in the morning, helping with unfamiliar agricultural tasks and listening to the difficulties faced by local farmers.

On the same day, staff from the Safety Management Department of Buan-gun also visited a farm in Cheongnim-ri, Sangseo-myeon, to help with scallion pulling and garlic stalk cutting. This activity was organized to support farms experiencing severe labor shortages due to overlapping harvest periods.

Despite the hot weather, participating employees assisted with preparing crops for shipment and took time to hear about the challenges faced by farmers.

On the same day, twelve employees from the Autonomous Administration Office of Buan-gun also visited a garlic field covering 2,500 pyeong in Sinheung-ri, Buan-eup, to help with the removal of garlic scapes.

Garlic scape removal is a crucial process that helps nutrients concentrate on the bulb's growth, thereby affecting both yield and quality. However, with rural populations aging and labor costs rising, the shortage of farm labor during busy seasons has become increasingly severe, placing an even greater burden on farmers.

The employees moved throughout the fields to remove garlic scapes and listened to farmers' voices, experiencing the reality of rural life firsthand.

Wi Youngbok, Director of the Autonomous Administration Office, stated, "As the labor shortage in rural areas becomes more severe, we visited the site to contribute whatever help we can. We will continue to pursue administration that shares the challenges faced by the agricultural sector."

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