Seosamseok Hosts 'Rice Industry Diagnosis and Grain Policy Reestablishment Forum'

Urgent Need for Legalizing Market Isolation and Production Cost Guarantees... Must Establish Large-Scale Food Storage Facilities!

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-kyung] Amid worsening food issues due to international conflicts and climate crises, a policy forum was held at the National Assembly to examine the problems of the struggling domestic rice industry and to prepare alternatives.

On the 16th, Seo Sam-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Yeongam, Muan, Sinan), announced that he hosted a "Policy Forum for Diagnosing the Rice Industry and Reestablishing Grain Policies" at the 8th Meeting Room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building.

This event was organized as a follow-up to a press conference held on the 13th, led by Seo Sam-seok, together with Democratic Party lawmakers from Jeonnam and Jeonbuk, urging the establishment of fundamental measures to stabilize rice prices and seeking policy alternatives.

Despite multiple calls at the National Assembly for immediate market isolation and institutional improvements, the government's passive attitude has not only failed to prevent the collapse of rice prices but also has not led to any related legal amendments.

The market isolation of 270,000 tons, which was implemented first, was delayed past the harvest season and was carried out in a manner that seemed more like a formality through a lowest-price reverse auction. Participating farmers were forced to sell their rice below fair value, resulting not in income preservation but in enduring production cost deficits.

According to the most recent statistics, as of June 5 this year, the farm gate price of rice based on 80kg was 183,000 KRW, a drop of 18.3% compared to 224,000 KRW at the same time last year.

As of May, rice stocks in warehouses of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation nationwide surged by 77.7% to 764,000 tons compared to 430,000 tons the previous year.

Lawmaker Seo Sam-seok stated, "We are living in an absolute food crisis, but it seems only producers are deeply aware of this issue, as the government's response is grossly insufficient," adding, "Rice supply and demand problems are recurring, and although the National Assembly has continuously demanded improvements, the government needs to take a deeper look into why these issues remain unresolved."

He continued, "If the Grain Management Act is amended to make market isolation of rice mandatory upon meeting certain conditions, field farmers would be able to breathe easier, but the government is making no efforts toward such improvements," strongly criticizing the government's response.

Finally, he added, "Grain policies urgently require the legalization of production cost guarantees, and from a food security perspective, large-scale storage facilities capable of long-term storage functions are necessary."