Compensation Payments for Farmers Affected by Heavy Rainfall
Government to Begin Full-Scale Support in September
Minister Song Mireyong Urges Swift Recovery and Close Cooperation Among Agencies
Starting next month, compensation payments for farmers affected by the heavy rainfall that occurred in July this year will begin in earnest.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that on August 29, Minister Song Mireyong revisited the area of Gyuyam-myeon, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, which was damaged by the heavy rainfall in July, to inspect the recovery efforts and the resumption of farming activities, and to listen to the opinions of farmers working hard to quickly restart their agricultural operations.
The watermelon farm visited on this day suffered significant damage as its greenhouse and crops were flooded. However, recovery work was completed swiftly, and cucumbers and melons have been newly planted in preparation for the autumn harvest season.
Minister Song, who revisited the farm following her previous visit on July 20, urged local governments, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, the Agricultural Policy Insurance & Finance Service, and other related agencies to work closely together to help the affected farms recover their businesses and prevent further damage such as pest outbreaks, and to ensure that preparations for autumn farming proceed without any setbacks.
To enable the rapid resumption of farming and recovery for affected farms, the government has adjusted the replanting support rate for 10 major crops with severe damage, such as watermelon, cucumber, and strawberry, from 50% to 100%. In addition, the subsidy rate for replanting and livestock purchase has been raised from 50% to 100%, the subsidy rate for agricultural facilities such as plastic greenhouses, fruit facilities, and livestock barns has been increased from 35% to 45%, and support for all types of damaged agricultural machinery and their subsidy rates has been raised from 35% to 50%. These significantly strengthened recovery support measures were finalized on August 17 and will be paid out to farms in full starting in September.
The Gyuyam-myeon area of Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, has suffered flooding every year for the past four years. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to expedite administrative procedures such as permits to complete a new drainage station before the rainy season in June next year to prevent further flooding.
Minister Song stated, "Rapid recovery and resumption of farming in areas affected by heavy rainfall are crucial for restoring the agricultural production base," and added, "The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will work in cooperation with local governments, the Rural Development Administration, and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation to provide full support so that affected farms can regain stability and resume farming activities as soon as possible."
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