Yeongyang County urges measures to protect chili pepper farmers

The Yeongyang County Council in Gyeongsangbuk-do has concluded its 14-day extraordinary session, during which it adopted a resolution urging the government and National Assembly to implement measures to protect the livelihoods of chili pepper farmers. Approximately 40% of the 4,588 farms in Yeongyang are engaged in chili cultivation, making the industry vital to the local economy.

Farmers are currently facing a dual crisis of rising production costs—including fuel, labor, and agricultural materials—and potential price drops due to increased supply. Additionally, the influx of low-cost imported dried and frozen chili peppers through Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) is impacting domestic competitiveness. The Council proposed four key measures: expanding emergency government procurement, establishing a minimum production cost guarantee system, reviewing import policies to protect domestic producers, and increasing support for farming expenses and domestic consumption.

In a related development, the Yeongyang Chili Pepper Distribution Corporation announced it will begin procuring 5,759 tons of red chili peppers from 1,082 local farms through September 22. The procurement includes incentives to support farmers facing difficulties from climate change and rising material costs.