On July 19, KT&G (CEO
Bang Kyung-man) provided KRW 400 million in welfare support funds to promote
mutual growth with domestic tobacco leaf farmers.
This year’s funding will
cover health checkup costs for 500 farmers and provide academic scholarships to
120 children from tobacco farming households.
Since 2013, KT&G has been
steadily operating its “Special Support Program for Tobacco Farmers” to
alleviate the financial burden on aging farmers and fulfill its commitment to
mutual growth management. Now in its 13th year, the program has benefited around
15,800 farmers to date.
In addition to providing
financial aid, KT&G purchases 100% domestically grown tobacco leaves
through contracts with Korean farmers on an annual basis. The company also
takes the lead in supporting rural communities by dispatching employee
volunteer teams during the transplanting and harvesting seasons to assist with
labor shortages.
Jeong Seong-heon, KT&G’s
Director of Procurement Operations, stated, “We’ve been pursuing welfare
support initiatives to help ease farmers’ hardships and provide meaningful
assistance. We remain committed to delivering consistent and effective support
to tobacco farmers through long-term programs.”