Minister Song Miryeong: "Planthopper Damage Will Be Recognized as Agricultural Disaster"

Song Miryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, announced on the 7th that "brown planthopper damage will be recognized as an agricultural disaster."

Minister Song stated this during the National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee's audit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in response to a related inquiry by Moon Geumju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "We have completed consultations with relevant ministries regarding the recognition of the disaster."

As of the 27th of last month, brown planthopper damage caused by this abnormal heatwave occurred on approximately 34,000 hectares nationwide (tentative). Jeonnam Province recorded the highest damage with about 20,000 hectares, followed by Jeonbuk Province with about 7,100 hectares, Chungnam Province with about 1,700 hectares, Gyeongnam Province with 4,200 hectares, and other regions with 1,500 hectares, according to preliminary estimates.

Brown planthopper damage. (File photo)

In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will hold the Agricultural Disaster Countermeasure Deliberation Committee today to decide whether to recognize the brown planthopper damage caused by the unusually long heatwave (abnormal high temperature) this year as an agricultural disaster. After the committee finalizes the recognition of the disaster, local governments will conduct damage surveys. Additionally, to prevent the distribution of low-quality rice, all rice damaged by brown planthopper and rice damaged by pre-harvest sprouting due to September heavy rains will be purchased in full. Farmers who have subscribed to crop disaster insurance will receive insurance payments promptly after damage assessments corresponding to the reduction in harvest.

Minister Song said, "If brown planthopper damage is recognized as an agricultural disaster, support will be provided according to the scale of the damage, including pesticide costs, replanting costs, living expenses, deferment of repayment and interest reduction on agricultural policy funds." She added, "If additional funds are needed for farm management, we plan to support loans for disaster countermeasure management funds at an interest rate of 1.8%."