(Muan=Yonhap News) Reporter Hyeong Min-woo = As the South Jeolla Province increased the fishermen and farmers' welfare allowance while reducing the rice management safety strategy fund, farmer organizations have come out in opposition. The Jeolla Province Federation of the National Federation of Farmers' Associations, the Jeolla Province branch of the Rice Association, and the Jeolla Province branch of the National Women Farmers' Association held a rally in front of the Jeolla Province Assembly on the 9th, demanding the resignation of Jeolla Province Governor Kim Young-rok. They said, "Do not mock farmers by reducing the rice management safety strategy fund to increase the farmers' allowance" and argued, "The agricultural budget must be newly expanded to increase the number of recipients and the amount of payment." They continued, "The rice management safety strategy fund was established as a solution for stabilizing the income of rice farmers facing difficulties due to rising production costs and for ensuring stable rice production, which is a staple food. Reducing the rice management safety strategy fund under the pretext of basic income or farmers' allowance is a policy that mocks farmers by removing the lower stone to break the upper one." This controversy began when the Jeolla Province Assembly reviewed the third supplementary budget proposal of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Committee last month, demanding an increase in the fishermen and farmers' welfare allowance. Jeolla Province had a negative stance on increasing the fishermen and farmers' welfare allowance due to poor financial conditions, but eventually secured 89 billion won by reducing other budgets, confirming the fishermen and farmers' welfare allowance budget at 624 billion won. On the other hand, the rice management safety strategy fund, which was to be operated at a scale of 570 billion won, including 228 billion won in provincial funds and 342 billion won in city and county funds, was reduced by half to 285 billion won. The rice management safety strategy fund provided direct payments of 600,000 to 1,200,000 won in the form of direct debits to rice-growing farmers in South Jeolla Province, with a maximum limit of 2 hectares. Jeolla Province said, "We did not have prior consultations, including collecting opinions from farmers' organizations, while securing the source of funds for the fishermen and farmers' welfare allowance. We will devise measures to stabilize the income of rice-growing farmers while looking at next year's financial situation."