President Kim Dae-jung instructed the government Wednesday to alleviate the heavy debt burden borne by farmers and dramatically change financial aid measures so money can be effectively spent on increasing farmers' income and competitiveness.

After receiving a report from the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, President Kim said the nation needs to step up research and development by linking the information and biology industry with farming so that farming can grow into a high-value market.

The president said agriculture policies should aim at increasing the financial stability and income of farmers so that they are not chronically saddled with debts.