Kim Young-rok, the Democratic Party of Korea's preliminary candidate for Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City mayor who has been presenting relay "specialized pledges" for each of the 27 districts, has unveiled strategic measures to overcome difficulties in the agricultural sector and achieve new growth. The pledges are being praised as practical, field-oriented policies befitting a former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
In his "Five Promises for Jeonnam-Gwangju Agricultural Innovation" announced on the 9th, Kim diagnosed that "while the value of agriculture as a security and life industry has risen further due to recent wars, rural areas are still suffering from the triple burden of rising agricultural material costs, labor shortages, and high-cost management." As a solution, he pledged to open "the era of 2 trillion won in Jeonnam-Gwangju agricultural budget," up from the current 1.3 trillion won.
The plan aims to systematically nurture Jeonnam-Gwangju agriculture from production to research and development, distribution, sales, and exports to lead K-Agriculture.
The proposal also includes gradually expanding agricultural and rural basic income to establish an advanced-nation-level income safety net for farmers.
His differentiated policy to implement "5-Free Agriculture" is also drawing attention.
Through 100% private and public procurement to firmly guarantee farmers' basic income, along with a national responsibility management system and public responsibility measures such as public-type labor programs, farmers will be freed from labor concerns.
The plan also includes eliminating disaster concerns through 100% realistic disaster recovery costs and significant improvements to the disaster insurance premium surcharge system, as well as achieving distribution innovation for agricultural and livestock products without market access worries through measures including wholesale market reform. There are also plans to achieve clean Jeonnam-Gwangju free from animal diseases through livestock facility modernization and advancement.
To intensively nurture creative young farmers, the blueprint includes expanding agricultural ventures in smart agriculture, food research, bio-industry, and food tech, while providing integrated support for housing and farmland through realistic settlement support funds, Young Farmer Hope Stay (public housing), and introduction of long-term farmland lease systems.
He also proposed measures to promote management stability for struggling farmers through agricultural tax-free fuel price difference support, special feed cost support, and expansion of interest rate subsidies for rural development funds and agricultural policy funds.
Above all, the pledge includes building an advanced agricultural hub for sustainable future agriculture in the artificial intelligence (AI) era.
Candidate Kim Young-rok said, "I will use the voices of agricultural sites and farmers as policy guideposts and prove it with certain results," adding, "I will definitely create a Jeonnam-Gwangju where agriculture is respected and farmers are happy."