▲ More and more families are moving to Jeju to set up home and farm. Photo courtesy Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

Jeju authorities have increased support for agricultural migrants to ease the transition into rural life. The support includes agricultural training, seed provision and renovation for dilapidated accommodation.

The latest support being provided by Jeju City is called: “This is how you plant red pepper and tomatoes” and provides training in agriculture and rural life classes. A key goal of all these programs is to boost the rural economy and improve welfare for rural families.

Participants must have already received basic agricultural training and this supplementary program will train 85 people at the Western Agricultural Technology Center until July 27. The Center has been holding such classes since 2012.

Participants will train in systematic cultivation methods and new agricultural technologies for year-round crop production such as soil and fertilizer management for maximizing yields of potatoes, garlic, onions, cabbage, broccoli, peppers and other crops.

There will also be lessons in traditional and environmentally friendly farming techniques. It is expected that 90 percent of attendees will receive certification in crop cultivation and 30 percent will be given an official qualification in agricultural management.

Additional support is also being provided through the Jeju Agricultural Research Eastern Center of Agricultural Technology. In this scheme smallholders in the east of the island can receive 120,000 won worth of free seedlings including pumpkin, pepper, squash, corn and eggplant. This scheme has become more popular every year since inception in 2009.

Administrative units across the island are also support homeowners in improving living conditions on old farmhouses. Many properties suffer from severe damp and mold due to leaking and up to 4 million won is being made available per household for renovation of tradition toilet systems.

The program is part of the Migrants Farm and Residential Maintenance Support Program 2014 and 16 families have been selected this year for support in addition to the 18 families from last year.

Over the last few years the number of people coming to Jeju to farm has been on the rise. According to records from Seogwipo City, the total number of new farmers in 2013 included 420 households, or 998 people. The number was 132 people in 2009, 296 people in 2010, 495 in 2011, and 823 people in 2012.

The province recognises these difficulties for migrants and provides support through the website jejulife.jeju.go.kr. There you can find all sorts of support such as rural settlement support, multicultural programs, agriculture programs and support for agricultural start-ups.