“Civil Servants, Now Farmers” … Helping with Fruit Thinning in Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwi-yeol] The public officials in this rural village are busier than usual. This is because they have to thin out the fruits that are too many on each branch to obtain good fruit.

Public officials are stepping in to do fruit thinning work on behalf of farmers. They temporarily left their office desks to help with the labor shortage.

On the 25th, public officials from Seokbo-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk, joined the rural labor assistance to help farms experiencing injuries or labor shortages.

The work that day was fruit thinning. Twenty-five public officials from five departments including Seokbo-myeon Office, Planning and Budget Office, Culture and Tourism Division, Economic and Job Division, and Regional Development Division participated, sweating as they thinned fruits in an 8,000㎡ orchard located in Hwamae-ri, Seokbo-myeon.

The farm owner who received the labor support expressed gratitude, saying, "In a situation where work was difficult due to injuries and COVID-19, the staff from Seokbo-myeon and the county office helped with the labor, which was a great help."

Kim Cho-han, head of Seokbo-myeon, said, "I am glad to provide even a small help to farms struggling with labor shortages during the busy farming season," and added, "We will continue to promote rural labor assistance so that local farms do not face difficulties in farming due to accidents, diseases, or manpower supply issues."