Vows to realize development of rural farming villages and farmers¡¯ stable lives by faithfully keeping his promises
On Jan. 31, Lee Sung-hee, a former head of the Naksaeng Agricultural Cooperative is elected as 24th chairman of the NACF. After confirming his victory, Lee poses for a commemorative photo shoot. (Photo: NACF)
Lee Sung-hee embarked on a new journey by starting his four-year term as 24th chairman of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF).
¡°We will play the roles of the NACF by establishing the farming-oriented identity of the NACF,¡± he said. Instead of an inauguration ceremony, Lee began his official work at a rural site in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do, helping farmers.
There, he promised to make rural farming villages prosper and farmers happy by faithfully keeping the promises he made as a candidate.
Lee stressed that the NACF can unite farming communities. Lee¡¯s five major pledges were making farmers control the NACF, making big changes in agricultural product distribution, focusing all business operations of the NACF on agricultural and livestock cooperatives and preparing for the future.
Lee also emphasized these pledges in his inaugural speech. Lee stressed that he would pursue a bottom-up reform centered on the heads of local cooperatives and lay the foundation for a direct chairman election system to prepare for the participation of heads of local cooperatives.
Lee also stated that he would increase the proportion of directors who are cooperative heads among NACF directors from the current half to more than two-thirds by revising the Agricultural Cooperative Act as a way to increase the participation of local cooperative heads.
Lee¡¯s plan includes allowing the head of a local cooperative to serve as head of a local NACF headquarters.
Another notable pledge is setting up a farmer income stabilization system. Lee said it would prepare compensation plans for the public functions of agriculture and farming villages, suggesting a monthly wage system for farmers, retirement allowances and other allowances for farmers, and amend or enact related acts in order to introduce relevant systems.
Lee has also advocated for bringing innovation to agricultural product distribution. As soon as he took office, he established and operated the tentatively named Correct Distribution Committee, establish a supply prediction information system on 10 kinds of crops and raise 100 billion won in funds for distribution loss compensation.
Lee is also committed to improving the operation of Anseong Agrifood Logistics Center and taking over a general food company.
Lee¡¯s pledges include an additional settlement of 500 billion won annually from mutual financial special accounting revenue.
Lee also promised to invest 1 trillion won in the construction of digital agricultural cooperatives, foster young farmers, support female cooperative members, and reorganize the NACF Foundation into a welfare center for agricultural cooperative members.
¡°We will immediately prepare a way to normalize the NACF¡¯s financial structure, which has deteriorated due to an increase in borrowings,¡± Lee said in his inaugural address.
¡°The NACF will make every effort to fulfill its responsibilities to help farmers raise their incomes. We will put all our efforts into building an Agricultural Utopia where agriculture is duly recognized, rural areas become a hope, and farmers are respected. The NACF will grow with farmers.¡±
In the meantime, Lee Sung-hee began to play his role as NACF chairman by paying respect at Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on Jan. 3.
Also, instead of having an inauguration ceremony in consideration of various issues, he demonstrated on-site management by helping one strawberry farmer in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province on Jan. 4.
Lee held a field meeting with local residents, local government officials and 30 local farmers. ¡°We skipped the inauguration ceremony of the NACF Auditorium where many people had to gather due to corona virus infection concerns. We replaced the ceremony with visiting a farm and helping farmers,¡± Lee said.
Lee emphasized that he would focus on the digitalization of agriculture in order to attract young people to farming towns and help them earn high incomes. ¡°In order to change the worsening rural environment, rural areas need young farmers,¡± Lee said.
¡°We will make efforts to bring young farmers into rural areas by introducing AI farming and smart farms among others.¡± Lee listened to the opinions of farmers¡¯ work while working at a strawberry field.