SHINAN — Shinan County in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City is moving to secure government funding on top of its own spending to cope with a severe drought.
County Chief Kim Tae-seong attended the 16th regular general meeting of the National Rural County Governors' Council, held the previous day at Taekwondowon in Muju County, Jeonbuk State, where he outlined the county's drought conditions and formally requested state funding to secure a stable supply of agricultural water, Shinan County said on the 16th. Kim stressed that this winter is effectively the "golden time" for preventing damage in the coming farming season and called for active government intervention.
Shinan is one of South Korea's leading centers of eco-friendly farming. Of its 42,384 residents, 25,878, or 61%, work in agriculture. The county ranks first nationwide in certified organic farmland and second in land certified as eco-friendly.
Average rainfall in Shinan reached only 702 millimeters this year, or 56.5% of the 1,243 millimeters recorded a year earlier. The average reservoir level plunged to 37.25% this year from 88.1% a year earlier, turning the shortage of agricultural water into a tangible crisis.
The county has already committed 3.2 billion won in emergency funding, including 2.3 billion won from its own contingency reserves. It is mobilizing all available budget resources to dredge reservoirs, secure water and run emergency water supply measures.
The county views the winter fallow period as the "golden time" to prevent damage during next spring's planting season, judging that pre-emptive action this winter could determine the scale of losses for farmers next year.
At the meeting, Kim described the situation and underscored the need for state funding.
"Agriculture is the most fundamental foundation supporting the local economy and a lifeline for our residents," Kim said. "We will push ahead with pre-emptive drought measures this winter and concentrate all administrative efforts on securing state funding so that farmers can face the coming farming season with confidence."
The county said it plans to continue explaining the urgency of its drought response projects to the central government, the National Assembly and related agencies, and to actively request financial support to secure a stable supply of agricultural water.