Dry Paddy First Purchase Begins... Hong Taeyong, Mayor of Gimhae, Urges "Ensure No Disruption in Rice Procurement"

Hong Tae-yong, mayor of Gimhae City, Gyeongnam, is visiting the site of the first purchase of dried rice and inspecting the products.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] On the 15th, Hong Taeyong, mayor of Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, visited the site of the first purchase of dried rice from the 2022 public stockpiled rice and market-isolated rice.

Visiting Jinyeong-eup and Jinrye-myeon, where the first purchase was about to take place, Mayor Hong encouraged farmers and purchase workers and listened to their voices on site.

According to Gimhae City, the total purchase volume of public stockpiled rice and market-isolated rice this year is 6,324 tons.

The city stated that, according to the government's rice supply stabilization measures, 2,378 tons of market-isolated rice will be purchased simultaneously, which is a 97% increase compared to last year's purchase volume.

The purchased varieties are Yeonghojinmi and Hyeonpum. The purchase of paddy rice was completed by the 11th, and dried rice will be purchased 34 times at designated locations in each eup, myeon, and dong until December 13.

To reduce the financial burden on farming households, an interim settlement payment of 30,000 KRW per sack will be given immediately upon purchase, and the remaining amount will be paid reflecting the rice prices in the production area after the harvest season from October to December.

Farmers will receive the final settlement payment by the end of the year once the purchase price is confirmed in December this year.

Mayor Hong said, “I sincerely thank the farmers who did their best in farming despite the difficulties of labor shortages and falling rice prices,” and added, “I hope related organizations such as the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service and NongHyup will take greater interest and cooperate so that the purchase can proceed smoothly.”