Jeonnam Provincial Assemblyman Mo Junghwan Criticizes Inadequate Budget Support for Beekeeping Farms Affected by Honeybee Losses

"Emphasizing the Urgency of Countermeasures
Even Farms Completely Wiped Out"

There have been criticisms that Jeonnam Province's response to honeybee damage has been inadequate, with calls for substantial budgetary support for beekeeping farms that have suffered losses.

At the review of Jeonnam Province's 2025 supplementary budget held on April 22, Provincial Assemblyman Mo Junghwan (Democratic Party of Korea, Hampyeong) pointed out, "According to data from Jeonnam Province, about 15% of all beekeeping farms in the province?573 farms and approximately 40,000 colonies?have suffered honeybee losses this year. Nevertheless, actual support for affected farms remains minimal."

Jeon Namdo Provincial Assemblyman Jeon Junghwan.

He criticized, "Jeonnam Province allocated a total of 14 billion won in 2021 and 2022 for honeybee damage countermeasures, but only 3.1 billion won was allocated in this year's main budget. Furthermore, even the budget for the honeybee colony purchase support project was not included."

He also emphasized, "During the wintering period, the proportion of beekeeping farms affected by honeybee losses reaches an average of 15% of all beekeeping farms, and the scale of damage varies greatly between farms. In particular, for farms where honeybees have been completely wiped out, the damage is enormous, making it most urgent to establish countermeasures."

Assemblyman Mo also mentioned the importance of honeybees. He claimed, "Honeybees are responsible for pollinating major crops that account for 90% of the world's food supply, and their economic value is estimated to reach up to 690 trillion won."

In response, Park Hyunsik, Director of the Agriculture, Livestock and Food Bureau, stated, "We will ensure that the budget not reflected in this supplementary budget can be sufficiently included in future supplementary budgets or next year's main budget. We will do our utmost to establish substantial support measures for beekeeping farms affected by the damage."