On October 27, Sangkeun Lee, Governor of Goseong County in South Gyeongsang Province, visited the eco-friendly rice cultivation complex (Yeondong Complex) to inspect the harvest site and encourage farmers who are facing difficulties due to the outbreak of rice kernel smut.
This visit was arranged to directly assess the damage caused by rice kernel smut, which has worsened this year due to heavy rainfall and hot, humid weather during the summer, and to discuss future countermeasures to minimize the damage.
The Yeondong eco-friendly rice cultivation complex is a 12-hectare organic rice farming area that utilizes eco-friendly cultivation techniques without pesticides. However, due to the spread of rice kernel smut this year, some plots have experienced a decrease in yield of about 20 to 30 percent compared to the average year.
Governor Lee participated in the harvest work on-site, listened to the difficulties faced by farmers, and stated, "The occurrence of crop diseases and pests due to climate change is becoming increasingly serious." He added, "Taking this damage as a lesson, we will strengthen administrative capabilities to respond proactively to crop diseases and pests caused by abnormal weather, and actively support farmers so they can continue stable production."
Meanwhile, Goseong County is implementing various support programs to prevent the spread of rice diseases and pests, including three rounds of joint pest control support annually, operation of a pest monitoring team, dissemination of eco-friendly pest control techniques, and subsidies for crop disaster insurance. The county also plans to provide support to farms affected by rice kernel smut through crop disaster insurance and agricultural disaster relief funds.
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