Byeongno Lee, Damyang County Governor, Visits Livestock Market to Hear Livestock Farmers' Difficulties

Monitoring Price Trends and Auction Progress, Holding a Meeting with the Cooperative President and Hanwoo Farmers

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Lee Byeongno, the mayor of Damyang County, visited the livestock market early in the morning on the 15th to check the price trends of Korean beef and the progress of the auction, and to listen to the difficulties faced by livestock farmers, the mayor announced on the 16th.

On that day, about 300 Korean beef cattle were traded at the livestock market, attended by Mayor Lee Byeongno, National Assembly member Lee Gaeho, Chairman Choi Yongman and county council members, Kang Jongmun, president of Damyang Livestock Cooperative, and Oh Jeongyun, head of the Nonghyup Damyang County branch.

At a meeting with the cooperative president and Korean beef farmers, Mayor Lee Byeongno said, “We will spare no administrative and financial support to stabilize the management of livestock farmers who are deeply worried due to the decline in Korean beef prices,” and “We will focus administrative efforts to ensure the early completion of the forage TMR processing facility, which is a long-standing wish of livestock farmers.”

He also emphasized that to resolve the manure problem of livestock farmers, the support for organic fertilizer to crop farmers will be expanded from 580,000 bags (2022) to 1,050,000 bags (2023), with a subsidy rate of up to 80%.

National Assembly member Lee Gaeho said, “I will actively propose to related ministries to raise the incentive for shipping non-pregnant cows and expand government stockpiling purchases to stabilize Korean beef prices as soon as possible, and to supply Korean beef to military meals,” and “I will consider special grant support necessary to expand the scale of the complete mixed feed processing facility of Damyang Livestock Cooperative to stabilize feed costs.”

Meanwhile, the Damyang Livestock Market, which has been held once a week (every Sunday) since its first auction in October 1994, is equipped with an electronic auction system and trades about 12,000 Korean beef cattle annually, contributing to increasing the income of livestock farmers.