[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Sang-ik, the Democratic Party preliminary candidate for the Hampyeong County mayoral by-election, promised on the 31st to "institutionalize monthly meetings with local Nonghyup cooperative heads."
The candidate stated, "For agriculture to develop, it is necessary for the administration and Nonghyup to join hands and pursue multifaceted cooperation plans."
He continued, "Farmers must thrive for rural areas to survive, and for Hampyeong, which is on the brink of disappearance, there is hope and the economy will revive. Since 70% of Hampyeong residents are farmers, cooperation between the administration and Nonghyup is more important than anything else," emphasizing the point.
He also said, "To create a livable countryside and wealthy farmers, it is essential to have practical support measures for agricultural product distribution and returning farmers, rather than just slogans. To this end, the county and Nonghyup will cooperate to promote the full purchase of general rice and implement an onion price guarantee system to prepare for the sharp drop in onion prices."
He added, "From a difficult childhood, I learned farming not from books but in the field, and through agricultural product distribution, I became who I am today, Lee Sang-ik. Knowing farmers' hardships better than anyone else, an agriculture-specialized manager like me must lead Hampyeong's county administration to revive agriculture and the Hampyeong economy."
Finally, the candidate said, "As a pledge for Hampyeong agriculture, I will ensure practical and effective agricultural policies by reorganizing the administrative structure, moving the returning farmer and rural migration team currently under the local economy department, which directly manages the agricultural product processing center, to the eco-friendly agriculture department."
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