Area-Based Direct Payment Increased by 5%
Small-Scale Farm Direct Payment Set at 1.3 Million Won
Wando County, Jeonnam, announced on the 5th that applications for the Basic Public Benefit Direct Payment will be accepted at township offices in the area where the farmland is located until the 30th of next month.
The Public Benefit Direct Payment System, implemented since 2020, is a policy that provides subsidies to enhance the public functions of agriculture and rural areas?such as environmental conservation, rural community maintenance, and food safety?while stabilizing farmers' incomes. The Basic Public Benefit Direct Payment is provided to farmers who meet the eligibility requirements and own qualifying farmland, based on the actual area of land cultivated. In particular, small-scale farms with 0.5 hectares or less receive a small-scale direct payment of 1.3 million won.
Starting this year, the payment rate per hectare for area-based direct payments has increased by 5%, ranging from 1.36 million to 2.15 million won (previously 1 million to 2.05 million won) depending on the section. For clan-owned farmland, applications are possible if the lease information is registered in the farmland ledger as permitted under the Farmland Act. New applicants, those cultivating farmland outside their registered address, and those classified as long-term care recipients must submit a 'Cultivation Verification Certificate' issued by the village head and at least two local farmers (total of three people) in the area where the farmland is located.
Applicants for the Public Benefit Direct Payment must comply with 17 requirements, including 'maintenance of farmland shape and function,' 'completion of public benefit direct payment education,' and 'preparation and storage of farming records.' Failure to comply may result in a 10% reduction of the total basic direct payment amount.
Eligible farmers and legal entities must apply for the direct payment every year and submit the registration application and required documents to the township office. However, farmland permitted or reported for conversion, as well as abandoned land (such as cemeteries, buildings, parking lots, etc.), must be excluded from the application area.
In addition, if one registers or receives the public benefit direct payment through false or fraudulent means without actually cultivating the land, or improperly divides the farmland, the entire amount received illegally will be reclaimed. Furthermore, an additional penalty of up to five times the amount may be imposed, and applications for direct payments may be restricted for up to eight years.
If there are any changes to the basic direct payment registration information, the changes must be registered at the township office by September 30. Once the application and registration process is complete, on-site inspections, eligibility checks, and compliance reviews will be conducted to confirm the recipients and payment amounts, and the direct payment will be made after November.
An official from the county stated, "Since this project aims to stabilize farmers' incomes, we will actively promote it to ensure that no eligible recipients are missed," and added, "Please carefully review the eligibility requirements and important notes and make sure to apply within the deadline."
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