Miryang Mayor Park Il-ho Lends a Helping Hand to Farmers in Need

Participation of Agricultural Technology Center, Nonghyup Milyang Branch, and Orion Nonghyup Staff

Park Il-ho, mayor of Miryang City, Gyeongnam, is holding one hand while his face is flushed red like an apple. [Provided by Miryang City Hall]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Wook] Miryang City in Gyeongnam Province, marking the full-scale autumn harvest season, visited an apple harvesting site in Sannae-myeon on the 15th to assist farmers struggling with labor shortages due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and aging population by helping with rural labor support.

At the work site that day, about 25 people including Mayor Park Il-ho, staff from the Miryang Agricultural Technology Center, employees from the Miryang branch of Nonghyup, Nonghyup Economic Holdings, Orion Nonghyup, and members of Gojumo gathered to put their full effort into apple harvesting, listening to the difficulties faced in the farming field and sharing the challenges together.

The city has designated the period from October 11 to November 25 as the labor support promotion period, encouraging each department to provide labor assistance at least once. The Agricultural Technology Center and the Eup/Myeon/Dong Administrative Welfare Centers operate a rural labor support promotion center to connect farms lacking labor with those willing to help.

Mayor Park said, “I hope this labor support will be of some help to the farms during this difficult time of labor shortage. We will strive to prepare more practical support measures for farms to expand the workforce.”