Suncheon City Extends 50% Discount on Agricultural Machinery Rental Fees Until the End of This Year

Alleviating Economic Burden on Farmers and Addressing Labor Shortages Due to COVID-19

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Heo Seok) announced on the 23rd that it will extend the reduction of agricultural machinery rental fees until December this year to alleviate the economic burden on farmers struggling due to COVID-19 and to address the shortage of rural labor.

The city decided to extend the agricultural machinery rental fee reduction, which had been implemented since April last year, until the end of December this year due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

The city operates the Northern Agricultural Machinery Rental Office located in Seungju-eup and the Southern Agricultural Machinery Rental Office located in Deokwol-dong, possessing 276 units of 50 types of rental agricultural machinery including tractors, providing farmers with a one-stop service from rental application to transportation and on-site repair.

In particular, during the busy farming season from April to June and the harvest season from October to November, agricultural machinery rental services are provided to farmers even on Saturdays and public holidays.

Additionally, safety education on operating instructions and work methods is conducted on-site during machinery rental, helping to prevent safety accidents among farmers renting machinery and promoting efficient work.

Reservations for agricultural machinery rental can be made by visiting the city’s Agricultural Technology Center, through the website, or by phone, and the rental fee discount is applied uniformly without a separate application process.

A city official stated, “We will continue to make various efforts to reduce the burden of purchasing agricultural machinery for farms that find it difficult to buy machinery and to resolve the shortage of rural labor.”