Moon Geum-ju "NACF Needs to Improve Farmer Information Provision System"

52.6% of Elderly Farmers Face Difficulties Using Internet and Mobile
‘Separate Operation’ Weather, Disaster, and Pest Management Systems Need Integration

On the 11th, Assemblyman Moon Geum-ju questioning at the National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee's audit.
[Photo by Assemblyman Moon Geum-ju's office]

Moon Geum-ju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Goheung, Boseong, Jangheung, and Gangjin), pointed out at the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Committee audit held on the 11th, “Weather information, disaster prediction, and pest and disease information essential for farming households should be linked with the smart village information system so that elderly farmers can also utilize them, and the segmented information provision systems must be integrated and established.”

According to the audit data submitted to Representative Moon by the Rural Development Administration, as of 2023, the proportion of elderly population aged 65 and over in farming households reaches 52.6%. The 'Agricultural Weather Disaster Early Warning System' and the 'National Crop Pest and Disease Management System' operated by the Rural Development Administration require internet and mobile access to use the information, making it difficult for elderly farmers, who constitute more than half of all farming households, to access the information easily. To receive information via mobile text message service, users must also complete membership registration.

The usage rate of the 'Agricultural Weather Disaster Early Warning System,' which is designed to prepare for disasters such as heatwaves and heavy rains, is extremely low at 4.6% of all farming households. Additionally, only 1.5% of farming households use the 'National Crop Pest and Disease Management System' that provides pest and disease prediction information, reinforcing Representative Moon's concerns.

Furthermore, since the 'Agricultural Weather Disaster Early Warning System' and the 'National Crop Pest and Disease Management System' operate separately, farmers must access each website individually to obtain weather information and disaster prediction data, causing inconvenience.

Representative Moon emphasized, “Weather information, disaster prediction, and pest and disease information are essential for farming households and are all provided by the Rural Development Administration, so operating them separately is a waste of budget and manpower. The two systems should be integrated so that farmers can receive comprehensive information, and various measures should be devised to ensure that elderly farmers can also utilize them.”