Pocheon-si to Distribute 10.8 Billion KRW for the First Basic Public Benefit Direct Payment of 2024

Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Young-hyun) announced on the 11th that it has paid 10.8 billion KRW in the first round of the 2024 Basic Public Interest Direct Payment to 7,220 farming households.

Pocheon City Hall exterior. Provided by Pocheon City

The payments were first made to 7,220 farming households with no changes in their information. For the 294 households with changes such as beneficiary succession, additional payments are planned to be made by the end of this month after review.

The Basic Public Interest Direct Payment is a system designed to enhance the public interest functions of agriculture and rural areas and to stabilize farm household income. It is paid to farmers who meet the eligibility criteria and comply with the required conditions.

The direct payments are divided into small-scale direct payments and area-based direct payments. The small-scale direct payment is given regardless of area to farmers who meet conditions such as cultivating an area of 5,000㎡ or less and having a farm income of 20 million KRW or less. The amount was raised by 1 million KRW from last year to 13 million KRW. It is expected to play an important role in stabilizing the income of small-scale farmers.

The area-based direct payment applies a tiered payment rate according to the cultivated area, ranging from 1 million KRW to 2.05 million KRW per hectare (ha).

Mayor Baek Young-hyun of Pocheon said, “I hope the Basic Public Interest Direct Payment can contribute to the economic stability of farmers who have worked hard in difficult agricultural environments,” and added, “We will continue to do our best for the development of agriculture.”