| A Study on Improving Dry-field Farming Competitiveness in Response to the Expansion of Market Opening (Year 2 of 3) | |||
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| Author | Kim, Hongsang | ||
| Views | 68731 | Publication Date | 2017.02.18 |
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Background of Research The necessity of researching the ways to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean field crop farms came to the fore as free trade agreements (FTAs) have been concluded with more countries, including the FTA between Korea and China which focuses on the market for field crops. The first-year research analyzed structural changes and characteristics of dry-field farming and indicated that labor shortage was the most common challenge faced by field crop farmers. Addressing labor shortage is closely intertwined with the substitution of machine power for manpower, the maintenance of agricultural production infrastructure for mechanization, and farmers organization. Furthermore, it is also necessary to analyze item clusters in major production areas of field crops and types thereof to find benefits and limits of the policy focusing on major production areas, and develop alternatives for developing dry-field farming centered around each area. The second-year research aims to analyze critical issues such as alleviating agricultural labor shortage, agricultural mechanization, the maintenance of agricultural production infrastructure and farmers organization, and develop required tasks for policy and institutional improvement with a view to strengthening the competitiveness of Korean field crop farms. A follow-up research for the third year will discuss the issues such as quality competitiveness, expansion of field crop consumption and market demand, regional differentiation, and strategies to make Korean field crop farms higher value-added. Method of Research This research uses data from Statistics Korea’s Farm Household Economy Survey and Agricultural Products Production Cost Survey to analyze the current utilization of farm workforce by features of field crop producers. Two separate studies were commissioned to analyze types of production clusters of major field crops ― using statistical data from Agricultural Holdings Registration Information and Agricultural Census ― and to assess the effectiveness of farm workforce utilization and agricultural mechanization through a case study. Data on utilization of hired farm workforce and agricultural machineries; demand for field crop production infrastructure maintenance; and participation in organized activities were collected through the use of a farm household survey. Through a literature review and an in-person interview, successful cases in Korea and other advanced countries were explored. Research Results and Implications □ Analysis of Structure of Labor and Machine Input in Dry-field Farming The analysis of details of labor input in the Farm Household Economy Survey in 2015 shows the share of employed farm workers is 18.2% in the crop cultivation business, which is a quarter of family labor hours. If average annual work hours per farm household in the sample group are converted based on 8 hours per day, 101 days are necessary for family labor and 22 days for employed labor force. The shares of employed farm workers are higher in the fields of flowering plants (20.6%), vegetables (20.1%) and fruits (18.3%) than rice (7.3%) and barley/pulses/minor grains (7.0%) for which farmers relatively more often use machines. Although the demands for farm workers during a year vary with items, the demands are generally the highest in the planting season (April to June) and the harvesting season (September to November). Farmers tend to utilize family labor first to meet the required labor, and they have recourse to short-term employment later to address labor shortage. □ Farmers Organization Organizing farmers is significant in improving resources use efficiency ― manpower, agricultural lands and machines, as well as in reducing distribution costs and strengthening bargaining power. Results of the survey indicate that farmers, through cooperatives, obtain information, find accounts, and learn about a new agricultural technology. The Korean government plans to expand the scope of agricultural holdings organization from rice cultivation to general dry-field farming; and to support agricultural cooperatives in order to form large-scale joint agricultural holdings organization centered around major production areas of field crops. Customized organizing is required for each crop type, and it is necessary to develop a plan for organizing farmers depending on characteristics of each major production area. □ Infrastructure Maintenance It is necessary to make a plan to maintain the infrastructure in consideration of various major production types including a field crop type typically cultivated in dry fields, a field crop type mainly cultivated in paddies, and controlled horticulture complexes. It is needed to continue to enforce the existing Regional Development Special Account led by local governments in areas for small-scale development and easy management of facilities. It is also necessary to expand the introduction of new irrigation systems of low costs in wide regions to metropolitan regions of major production areas. In the fields of production and distribution, it is needed to plan infrastructure improvement customized to field crops in connection with competent joint holdings. However, it is necessary to first implement a project as a pilot project. Moreover, it is essential to construct the infrastructure for self-regulating demand and supply through joint agricultural management rather than focusing on expanded production to enhance self-sufficiency rates for each item in terms of maintaining major production areas. In consideration of shifting major production areas, it is necessary to establish mid- and long-term strategies to connect agricultural development plans for each city and gun (county) and horticultural industry development plans to infrastructure maintenance and to joint holdings in relation to key items to be supported. This aims to maintain the infrastructure. It is possible to improve paddy irrigation and drainage to enable field crop cultivation. □ Direction for Policy and Institutional Improvement It is essential to approach solutions to the labor shortage in the framework of the mid- and long-term field crop development plan (horticulture industry development plan) led by local governments different for each item and region. In particular, an approach is required in consideration of both crop change and short-term expansion of employed workforce. It is essential to seek efficient use of agricultural machines based on regions through organizing work groups, and make a plan for systematically using machines throughout the year. Instead of uniform infrastructure maintenance focusing too much on physical farmland maintenance, it is needed to implement field infrastructure maintenance projects for general improvement that can be a basis for enhancing distribution capability of organized holdings with on-site specific demands. A strategy is required to improve organizational capability in processing and distribution in order to improve organizational outcomes in the stage of production including infrastructure maintenance and joint use of agricultural machines. □ Tasks of Policy and Institutional Improvement For an efficient and transparent workforce market, it is necessary that local governments, locally organized holdings and specialized institutes provide labor demand data in cooperation for each field crop item/month/work stage and create a systematic basis for supplying workforce. It is needed to make a mid- and long-term plan for supporting joint holdings in consideration of the Agricultural Development Plan for each city and county and the Horticulture Industry Development Plan including major production areas other than existing specified major production areas. It is then necessary to develop a mid- and long-term infrastructure maintenance plan and a maintenance measure connected to the support plan. It is needed to review the feasibility of projects which initially require many financial resources, for example, irrigation improvement focusing on major production areas through a pilot project. It is necessary to pursue transparent and stable recruitment of foreign workers led by organized holdings, not by individual farmers for the demand and supply system of foreign farm workers. It is essential to enforce the infrastructure maintenance project focusing on actual demands in the regions with stable use and management capability of the facilities, beyond the existing expansion policy focusing on suppliers. Researchers: Kim Hongsang, Chae Gwangseok, Heo Jeonghoi, Yoon Sungeun, Kim Booyoung Research Period: 2016. 1. ~ 2016. 12. E-mail address: hskim@krei.re.kr |
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