The government will provide emergency living expenses of 1.2 million won (based on a household of two) to farms affected by wildfires. In addition to living expenses, 1 million won will be provided for one semester of tuition. For municipalities designated as special disaster areas or general disaster areas, taxes and electricity and communication fees will be reduced or deferred. NongHyup will provide up to 30 million won in emergency living stability funds to affected member households as an interest-free loan.
On the 2nd, the government announced the 'Support Plan for Farmers in Wildfire-Damaged Areas' during an economic ministers' meeting chaired by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok.
The government will support living expenses and tuition for farms with damage rates of 50% or more. An emergency living expense of 1.2 million won will be provided for a household of two. A household of four can receive 1.87 million won. Tuition will be paid as 1 million won for one semester. Support for living expenses and tuition is limited to once.
The government will also provide support for pesticide costs, large onion production costs, livestock introduction costs, and facility restoration costs for damaged agricultural products. Taxes, electricity and communication fees, and health insurance premiums resulting from the disaster area declaration will also be reduced or deferred to lessen the household burden.
Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to defer repayment of agricultural and livestock management funds to stabilize management for affected farmers and to reduce interest by up to two years. They also decided to provide a 'disaster response management fund' offering up to 50 million won at a fixed interest rate of 1.8%.
For farmers who have subscribed to disaster insurance, insurance payouts will be made promptly. A Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs official noted, "We will immediately start an investigation after damage reports to ensure swift compensation," and added, "If farmers wish, we plan to pay 50% of the estimated insurance amount upfront." The disaster insurance subscription rates for the six cities and counties in North Gyeongsang Province affected by the recent wildfire are reported to be relatively high, with 100% for apples, 98.6% for chickens, and 98.0% for pigs.
For livestock farms, 110 billion won will be prioritized for feed purchase in affected areas. Feed that was burned in the wildfire will be fully replaced, and up to 240 bags of 20 kg feed will be provided free of charge per farm.
NongHyup plans to lend disaster funds interest-free to affected cooperatives. They also plan to provide up to 30 million won in emergency living stability funds interest-free to affected farms.