Assemblyman Moon Geum-ju Introduces 'Partial Amendment to the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Countermeasures Act' as Main Sponsor

Assemblywoman Moon Geum-ju (The Democratic Party of Korea·Goheung Boseong Jangheung Gangjin) has taken the lead in proposing the "Partial Amendment to the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Countermeasures Act" to establish a comprehensive agricultural disaster safety net in the field of agricultural disasters.

According to the current law, drought, floods, heavy rain, abnormal low temperatures, heavy snow, cold waves, and heat waves are defined as agricultural disasters, and measures for prevention and post-disaster response are in place. However, Assemblywoman Moon explained that unexpected abnormal high temperatures and earthquake damage caused by climate change are not stipulated by law.

As a result, even if damage occurs due to abnormal high temperatures and earthquakes, farmers and fishermen are forced to bear the damage themselves because it is not recognized as an agricultural disaster and thus not eligible for relief.

As a supplementary measure, the amended bill adds abnormal high temperatures and earthquakes to the scope of agricultural disasters to provide a minimum institutional safety net to protect farmers and fishermen.

Assemblywoman Moon Geum-ju emphasized, "National disasters are becoming a burden on farmers," and added, "Agriculture is the industry most closely connected to nature, and it is the first to be exposed to natural disasters and suffer significant damage, which should not be overlooked."

She continued, "The core of agricultural disaster policy is to reduce damage in the agricultural field to enable quick recovery and rehabilitation," and added, "The state needs to play an active role in creating an environment where farmers can cultivate crops with peace of mind from natural disasters, ensuring farmers' livelihoods and stable supply of agricultural products to consumers."