An example agri-food voucher bundle. [Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs]
An example agri-food voucher bundle. [Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs]

Residents of remote islands and mountain areas with few nearby stores will now be able to order domestic farm and livestock products online and have them delivered to their homes, as the government expands a doorstep delivery service for agri-food voucher recipients nationwide.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced Wednesday that it had extended the agri-food voucher bundle delivery project to the entire country starting in late July, aiming to improve access for voucher users.

The agri-food voucher program provides monthly credits to households receiving basic livelihood benefits that include pregnant women, infants, children or young adults aged 34 or under, allowing them to purchase fresh domestic farm and livestock products.

Monthly support limits are 40,000 won ($28) for single-person households, 100,000 won for four-person households and 187,000 won for households of 10 or more. Eligible purchases include vegetables, fruit, meat and plain milk.

Vouchers are currently accepted at more than 62,000 stores nationwide — including hypermarkets, local food direct markets, Hanaro Mart outlets, eco-friendly stores and convenience stores — approved by the ministry.

The persistent challenge had been remote island and mountain communities, where approved stores are relatively scarce. A review of last year's main program found that participants' dietary satisfaction rose from 2.87 to 3.68 out of 5, and the gap in the healthy-eating lifestyle index narrowed by 19.9 percent — yet users in areas with poor store access reported difficulty using their vouchers.

In response, the ministry ran a pilot delivery program from November last year through January, targeting about 7,800 voucher-recipient households across 14 cities and counties in North Jeolla Province.

Under the scheme, users select a nutritionally balanced bundle of farm and livestock products through an online store, and the goods are delivered directly to their front door. The pilot offered standard, fruit-focused and meat-focused bundle options.

The pilot showed relatively high repurchase rates, particularly in areas with limited store access. Based on those results, the ministry decided to roll out the bundle delivery service nationwide.

The ministry began accepting applications from service providers in May and selected the first agri-food voucher bundle operator in late July. It plans to add more participating operators to foster competition among online stores and expand the range of products and purchasing options available to users.

The ministry said it would diversify bundle offerings to reflect the health conditions, nutritional needs and dietary patterns of vulnerable groups.

"We plan to prepare a variety of bundle products tailored to the health, nutrition and dietary patterns of vulnerable groups," said Seo Jun-han, the ministry's director general for retail and consumption policy. "We will continue to expand the pool of agri-food voucher bundle operators to improve convenience for users who have poor access to stores."


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