Haenam-gun Selected as Home to the Nation's Largest Five Powdered Rice Production Complexes

Growing Interest in Flour Substitute Garu Rice, Support for Production Education and Consulting

[Haenam=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] On the 12th, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it had the highest number of five sites selected nationwide in the 2023 Powdered Rice (Floury Rice) Production Complex Education and Consulting Project, a public contest project by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Floury rice is rice that can be ground directly into powder like wheat without soaking in water, making it highly suitable as a wheat flour substitute with very bright demand prospects. Additionally, since late planting is possible at the end of June, it is a variety advantageous for double cropping with wheat, barley, and forage crops. The government plans to intensively foster 200 floury rice production complexes by 2026 in response to rice overproduction.

The county has five selected sites within the jurisdiction, including Hyehwa Agricultural Cooperative Corporation covering about 140 hectares with 84 farms, and will invest 30 million KRW each to support education and consulting costs for sound management of business entities.

To expand the cultivation area through stable joint farming in the powdered rice production complexes, an on-site technical support team will be assigned to each complex to provide close guidance and education at every farming stage, and facilities and equipment will be supported later.

In addition, to secure stable sales channels and income for farms selected in the production complexes, all powdered rice will be purchased as public stock rice.

A county official said, “It is very meaningful that Haenam, the largest rice cultivation area nationwide, was largely selected for the establishment of production complexes to expand powdered rice cultivation,” and added, “We plan to gradually foster the powdered rice production complex project to stabilize rice supply and demand and improve food self-sufficiency.”

Haenam=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun alwatros@asiae.co.kr