Recruitment for Low-Carbon Agriculture Program Livestock Farms... Direct Payments for Early Shipment of Castrated Hanwoo Starting This Year

Farms Must Apply by May 22

The government is recruiting livestock farms to participate in this year's Low-Carbon Agriculture Program (livestock sector). Starting this year, farmers will receive direct payments if they shorten the fattening period of castrated Hanwoo cattle and ship them earlier.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on March 22 that it has increased the payment rates for the Low-Carbon Agriculture Program (livestock sector) to support greenhouse gas reduction activities in livestock farming, and is accepting applications from eligible farms until May 22.

Reference photo. The Asia Business Daily DB

The pilot project for the Low-Carbon Agriculture Program (livestock) is a system that provides subsidies for voluntary greenhouse gas reduction activities by livestock farms. These activities include feeding low-methane and low-nitrogen feed, improving manure management methods, and enhancing breeding practices to reduce emissions.

Eligible participants are individual farmers or agricultural corporations that have received livestock farming permits according to the Livestock Industry Act. Qualified applicants can apply through the city, county, or district office where the farm is located, as well as through the Agricultural e-Government system.

From this year, the payment rates have been significantly raised to reflect feedback from the field, which highlighted the need to compensate for additional costs associated with greenhouse gas reduction activities. In 2026, the support rate for low-methane feed for cattle will be 55,000 won per head (up from 25,000 won in 2025), and improvements in manure management methods (such as installing mechanical agitators or forced-air ventilation facilities) will be supported at 2,600 to 5,500 won per ton (up from 500 to 1,500 won in 2025).

An additional new activity has also been introduced: when the fattening period for castrated Hanwoo cattle is reduced to 29 months or less, a direct payment averaging 80,000 won per head will be provided according to the shortened period. Furthermore, if a farm certified for low-carbon livestock products participates in and implements this project, it will receive an additional 20% on top of the standard support rate, thereby strengthening connections between related projects.

Lee Jaesik, Director General of Livestock Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "Responding to the climate crisis is no longer a choice but a mandatory task, and if livestock farms take action, it can lead to significant carbon reduction. With the payment rates raised and new activities added this year, we hope to see active participation from many livestock farmers."

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