Jangseong-gun Focuses Administrative Efforts on Stabilizing Rice Prices... Implements Strategic Crop Direct Payment System

[Jangseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jo Hangyu] Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do is focusing administrative efforts on stabilizing rice prices.

The county announced on the 22nd that it plans to implement the Paddy Crop Diversification Support Project, Strategic Crop Direct Payment System, and Rice Cultivation Area Reduction Agreement to maintain an appropriate rice production volume this year.

Jangseong-gun implements support projects for cultivating non-rice crops in paddy fields to appropriately maintain rice production levels.
[Photo by Jangseong-gun]

To stabilize rice prices, rice production must be reduced to a level where market competitiveness is secured.

This year, the government's goal is to reduce the nationwide rice cultivation area by about 37,000 hectares. Accordingly, the reduction target area for the Jangseong region is 188 hectares.

The county is promoting the "Paddy Crop Diversification Support Project" to allow cultivation of other crops in paddy fields.

The Paddy Crop Diversification Support Project is a program that provides 2 million KRW per hectare when other income crops are grown in paddy fields that were used for rice farming last year.

The county plans to add county funds to this, paying 2.5 million KRW per hectare, which is 500,000 KRW more than other regions.

Eligible crops include general crops such as legumes, corn, sesame, and sweet potatoes.

The "Strategic Crop Direct Payment System," which provides additional direct payments on top of the existing basic public benefit direct payment when cultivating crops with high import dependence such as soybeans and summer forage instead of rice, will also be implemented.

The support amount varies depending on the season and crop. If food crops or forage are cultivated in winter, 500,000 KRW per hectare is paid; if paddy soybeans are cultivated in summer, 1 million KRW is paid. If wheat and forage are cultivated in winter and paddy soybeans in summer as double cropping, an additional 1 million KRW is provided, totaling 2.5 million KRW.

Summer forage receives 4.3 million KRW per hectare.

The "Rice Cultivation Area Reduction Agreement" can be applied for when other crops besides rice are cultivated or the land is left fallow this year on rice cultivation land or land participating in the reduction agreement from last year.

Depending on the reduction performance, benefits such as additional allocation of public stock rice of up to 150 to 300 bags per hectare or bonus points for government-supported projects from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs are provided.

The Paddy Crop Diversification Support Project and Strategic Crop Direct Payment System can be applied for by visiting the administrative welfare center of the farmland location directly by the end of next month, and the Rice Cultivation Area Reduction Agreement by the end of May.

Eligible applicants are farmers or agricultural corporations registered as agricultural management entities.

A county official said, "We will continuously discover and promote support policies for appropriate rice production and maintain close cooperation among farmers, farmer organizations, and related institutions."

Jangseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jo Hangyu baekok@asiae.co.kr