About 250 employees of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office, including Governor Lee Cheol-woo, participating in the 'Thanks Challenge' on May 6.
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] It has been revealed that agricultural managers from the Gyeongbuk region were selected the most nationwide in the 'Successor Agricultural Manager Development Project' promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
According to Gyeongsangbuk-do on the 7th, a total of 2,800 successor agricultural managers were selected in this year's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock public project, including Gyeongbuk (488), Jeonbuk (464), Jeonnam (426), and Chungnam (311). The number from the Gyeongbuk region accounts for 17.4% of the national total.
Among the 488 successor agricultural managers selected in the Gyeongbuk region, 413 (85%) are men and 75 (15%) are women. By area, Yeongcheon has the highest number with 50, followed by Seongju (44), Sangju (41), and Gimcheon (38). The selected successor agricultural managers receive comprehensive support including funding, education, and consulting for a certain period to be developed into elite agricultural personnel.
The 'Successor Agricultural Manager Development' public project is divided into the 'Youth Startup-type Successor Farmer Development Project' to encourage young and talented individuals under 40 to enter the agricultural field, and the 'General Successor Farmer Development Project' to discover prospective farmers and agricultural managers with less than 10 years of farming experience.
Agricultural managers selected for the 'Youth Startup-type' receive monthly 'Hope Voucher Points' of 800,000 to 1,000,000 KRW for three years, along with a separate startup fund loan of up to 300 million KRW for successor agricultural managers. In the case of the 'General Successor Agricultural Manager' type, customized support is provided including funding, education, consulting for a certain period, startup funds (up to 300 million KRW), and preferential guarantees from the Korea Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund.
The selection of successor agricultural managers is conducted through strict evaluations including written assessments and interviews on the appropriateness of business plans and farming visions after preliminary reviews by city and county offices.
Kim Jong-su, Director of the Agriculture, Livestock, and Distribution Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "We are actively carrying out differentiated education and support activities to attract young and talented individuals to the agricultural sector in response to rural aging," adding, "We will do our best to nurture excellent successor agricultural personnel who can revitalize agriculture and rural areas affected by COVID-19 and respond swiftly to the rapidly changing agricultural environment."
Meanwhile, the Successor Agricultural Manager Development Project was introduced in 2018 through continuous proposals by Gyeongbuk Province and agricultural organizations to central government ministries. It is evaluated to have greatly contributed to reducing farmers' interest burdens by allowing loans of up to 300 million KRW for purchasing farmland and livestock housing sites, and significantly easing loan conditions.
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