Decline in the number of young farmers... Policy diagnosis and realistic alternatives proposed

On the 20th, Oh Eun-mi, a member of the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Council (Sunchang, Progressive Party), held the first policy forum for young farmers under the theme of "Policy diagnosis and development strategies for young farmers" at the council's assembly hall.

Oh stated, "The proportion of young farmers in Jeonbuk has been continuously decreasing, from 10.2% in 2021 to 9.1% in 2022 and 8.4% in 2023," and emphasized the importance of young farmers in maintaining agriculture and rural areas facing extinction.

At the forum, Lee Soo-mi, Deputy Director of the Agricultural and Rural Policy Research Institute, and Lee Ji-hoon, President of the 4-H Federation of Jeonbuk, gave presentations. Participants in the discussion included Lee Kang-hoon, President of the 4-H Federation, Kim Hoo-joo, Vice Chairman of the National Farmers and Fishermen's Association, Bae Kyun-gi, Senior Researcher at the Jeonbuk Research Institute, and Choi Jae-yong, Director of the Jeonbuk Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Livestock.

Deputy Director Lee mentioned, "Government support for smart farms imposes a heavy initial investment burden, causing 6 out of 10 young people to give up on entrepreneurship," and emphasized the need for region-based policies for young farmers, citing Japan's 'People-Farm-Land Plan' as an example.

Former President Lee Ji-hoon suggested, "The biggest challenge for young farmers is housing issues," proposing improvements in financial systems, specialized loans for farmers, and expanding support for security deposits and interest.

Researcher Bae Kyun-gi stated, "Policies for young farmers need to shift from education-centered to field-centered, and mentoring, consulting, and business recovery support programs are necessary to enhance self-reliance."

Oh expressed, "I hope today's forum will serve as an opportunity to reflect the voices of young farmers in policies, and I will strive to develop effective alternatives."