Gyeonggi Province is accepting applications for the ‘Agricultural Food Voucher,’ a card issued and supported to help vulnerable groups purchase fresh agricultural products.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is expanding the program nationwide this year after a pilot project, with 22 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province expressing their intention to participate.
Gyeonggi Province will support about 9,000 households receiving livelihood benefits (at 32% of the median income standard) that include pregnant women, infants, or children under 18 years old, for 10 months from March to December.
The support amount varies depending on the number of household members, with a standard 4-person household receiving 100,000 KRW per month (up to 1,000,000 KRW annually). To prevent duplicate benefits, recipients of facilities under the National Basic Livelihood Security Act and users of the Nutrition Plus program are excluded from the household member count for support.
The voucher is issued in card form and can be used at large marts in the province (such as Nonghyup Hanaro Mart, GS The Fresh, etc.), convenience stores (GS25, CU, etc.), and online malls (Nonghyup Mall, Indermarket Onnuri Mall, etc.). Eligible items include domestic fruits, vegetables, white milk, fresh eggs, meat, grains, and tofu products.
Applications can be made by visiting the Eup/Myeon/Dong administrative welfare centers from the 17th of this month until December 12th, or online (www.foodvucher.go.kr), or by phone (Customer Center 1551-0857). However, proxy applications, foreigners, and cases requiring verification of pregnancy must apply in person with supporting documents.
Park Jong-min, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Agriculture, Fisheries and Life Sciences Bureau, stated, "Through the Agricultural Food Voucher, we will ensure healthy food for vulnerable groups and strive to revitalize the consumption of local agricultural products."
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