Imsil County to Operate Agricultural Machinery Rental Center on Saturdays Until June

Operation of Agricultural By-product Shredding Support Team Also in Place

Imsil County in North Jeolla Province will operate its Agricultural Machinery Rental Center on Saturdays until June to accommodate the busy spring farming season.

According to the county on the 1st, the Agricultural Machinery Rental Center will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until June. Farmers can rent 810 units of 22 types of agricultural machinery at four rental centers, under the same conditions as on weekdays.

Imsil County will operate the Agricultural Machinery Rental Office on Saturdays during the farming season until June. Photo by Imsil County

Additionally, the county has secured 46 more units of 12 types of rental agricultural machinery, including seeders, to ensure timely use by farmers. The county also plans to reduce the rental fees for agricultural machinery by 50% until December to ease the financial burden on farmers. To help reduce fine dust and prevent wildfires, the county is offering free rentals of branch shredders and operating a support team for shredding agricultural by-products.

Jang Chwigyun, Director of the Agricultural Technology Center, stated, "We will do our best to provide convenience for farmers during the busy farming season by expanding the operating days of the Agricultural Machinery Rental Center in response to increased demand."

In light of rising prices of key agricultural materials and other internal and external challenges, the county will extend the 50% reduction on rental fees for agricultural machinery operated by the rental center until the end of this year to further relieve the financial burden on farmers.

Since April 2020, the county has been operating a 50% discount on rental fees for 810 units of 22 types of agricultural machinery at four rental centers to help alleviate the difficulties caused by COVID-19 and rising prices. This initiative has been recognized as providing tangible support to farmers. The rental fee reduction is available to all farmers in Imsil County or those who own farmland in the county.

Last year, the county was selected as an outstanding institution in the nationwide evaluation of agricultural machinery rental business operations and received a commendation from the Administrator of the Rural Development Administration for its contribution to agricultural mechanization. The evaluation involved 147 local governments operating agricultural machinery rental centers nationwide and was based on 20 criteria, including workforce and organization, business performance, rental fees, and participation in government policy projects. The county received an excellent or higher rating in 15 out of the 20 criteria, earning the distinction of being named an outstanding institution and receiving the commendation.

With the 100 million KRW in project funds (national funds) secured through this award, the county plans to actively promote various projects and safety training to ensure safe and efficient operation of the agricultural machinery rental business.

County Governor Shim Min stated, "Amid difficult domestic and international circumstances such as tight fiscal conditions and high exchange rates, we have decided to extend the 50% reduction in agricultural machinery rental fees to ease the burden on farmers who are struggling to continue farming. We will continue to seek out projects that provide tangible support to farmers and strive to strengthen the competitiveness of agriculture in Imsil."