Chungnam Invests '600 Billion Won' to Improve Regional Agricultural Structure

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province will invest 600 billion KRW to improve the structure of the local agricultural ecosystem. The structural improvement will focus on fostering young farmers and strengthening the capabilities of women farmers.

On the 28th, the province announced that it will additionally invest 567 billion KRW in agricultural structural improvement, 15.6 billion KRW in strengthening women farmers' capabilities, and 12.8 billion KRW in individual agricultural and fishery worker allowances by 2026.

Through this, the province plans to expand the share of the agricultural sector in the total budget from 14.5% next year to 16% by 2026.

The detailed items for agricultural structural improvement are divided into ▲ fostering young farmers ▲ creating rural residential spaces ▲ establishing Chungnam-type ICT convergence smart livestock pilot complexes ▲ and supporting retired farmers to promote management transfer.

First, fostering young farmers will be promoted with the goal of "building a sustainable rural community through the new cultivation of young farmers," focusing on achieving 28 tasks across three areas: promotion, education and training, farmland acquisition, and financial support. A total of 166.5 billion KRW will be invested in related projects.

The rural residential space creation project plans to invest 200 billion KRW to develop about 30 households per district, with 1 to 2 districts per city or county, totaling 20 districts.

The Chungnam-type ICT convergence smart livestock pilot complex project involves clustering smart livestock barns and manure energy facilities. The province plans to invest 109 billion KRW initially to establish pilot complexes in Boryeong and Seocheon Busagan reclamation areas and Dangjin Seokmun reclamation area.

The province will also relocate aging pig farms by region to improve residential environments and realize a sustainable, future-oriented "successful livestock farming role model."

In particular, to induce generational change in agriculture, 91.5 billion KRW will be invested in projects that promote management transfer from elderly farmers and support retired farmers.

This project will be implemented by supporting pensions (basic + area-based) when farmers aged 70 to 84 entrust their farmland to a farmland bank (sale or lease) to maintain complete retirement.

To strengthen the capabilities of women farmers, support will be provided for convenient farming equipment, expansion of agricultural management professional education, and overseas training in advanced agriculture. A total of 15.6 billion KRW will be invested in this project.

The province will also change the agricultural and fishery worker allowance, which has been paid per household, to individual payments. Individual payments will increase the average amount by about 80,000 KRW per household, raising the total payment from the existing 127.8 billion KRW to 140.6 billion KRW, an increase of 12.8 billion KRW.

With the improved payment method, women who are non-farm household heads, previously excluded from the agricultural and fishery worker allowance, will now be included as individual recipients. Accordingly, the province plans to discontinue the Women Farmers Happiness Voucher and Young Farmers Farming Voucher programs and unify rural welfare policies under the agricultural and fishery worker allowance.

Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province, said, “We will achieve groundbreaking development by restructuring agriculture into an industry,” and added, “We will strive to ensure that farmers can feel the benefits of the newly implemented agricultural policies.”