KT&G (CEO Baek Bok In) conducted a harvest service in Gimje, North Jeolla Province to help leaf tobacco farmers who suffer from lack of work.

22 employees of KT&G raw material headquarters and Gimcheon plant visited the leaf tobacco farm in Bongnam-myeon, Gimje-si on the 13th, and harvested approximately 3000kg of leaf tobacco from 5000㎡ (1500 pyeong) of farmland.

Leaf tobacco farming is harvested in July to August, which is midsummer, and it is known that the labor intensity is very high because it is difficult to mechanize and is mostly done by hand. In particular, domestic farmers are having difficulty securing labor force due to the continuous decline and aging of rural population.

KT&G has been volunteering every year since 2007 in order to alleviate the difficulties of farmers and continue to win-win with the farmers. In addition to harvesting tobacco leaves, we also help farmers with transplanting in the spring and build a win-win relationship with the farmers throughout the year.

KT&G is also working to improve the welfare of leaf tobacco farmers. In May, we also held the '2019 Leaf Tobacco Farm Health Screening and Scholarship Delivery Ceremony' and donated 400 million Won. It is used as a health check for 1,000 leaf tobacco farmers and scholarships for farm children. As a result of the steady support every year since 2013, the cumulative amount so far has reached 2.25 billion Won, and more than 5,800 farmers have benefited.

Min Woong Ki, head of KT&G's Kimcheon Plant, who participated in this volunteer activity, said “KT & G purchases all domestic leaf tobacco every year, and is making various efforts to protect farmhouses by paying 30% of the leaf tobacco sales in advance.” "We will continue our win-win management through continuous communication with farmers."

▶Employees of KT&G's raw material headquarters and Kimcheon plant visited the leaf tobacco farm in Bongnam-myeon, Gimje-si on the 13th, and carried out harvest volunteer work. Photo shows leaf tobacco harvest volunteer image