[Public Voices] Protecting the Forage Feed Industry in the Era of Import Liberalization

Securing Resources by Developing Excellent New Varieties
Also Establishing a Stable Hay Distribution System

Sometimes, near rice paddies or livestock barns, you can see large rolls of toilet paper or big marshmallow-shaped lumps. These are forage feed called silage. In Korea, about 5.3 million tons of forage feed are used annually as feed for Hanwoo cattle and dairy cows.

The domestic self-sufficiency rate of forage feed has consistently remained around 80% over the past 20 years. Despite an increase of more than 630,000 head in cattle (Hanwoo and dairy cows) over the last decade, the high level of self-sufficiency was maintained thanks to the efforts of forage feed producer organizations, the development of new varieties, and research on cultivation techniques to expand domestic forage feed production. Above all, the domestic forage feed market was protected by limiting import volumes through a quota system with applied tariff rates.

However, the situation is different starting this year. The import market will be gradually opened, beginning with Canada, followed by the United States in 2026, and Australia in 2028. Especially in 2026, when the U.S. market?which currently accounts for the largest import volume?opens, the domestic forage feed production base may face threats. The impact of import liberalization is significant, as evidenced by the substantial increase in livestock product imports last year compared to the average from 2018 to 2022 (a 64% increase in chicken imports) due to lower tariffs. Urgent measures are needed to protect the domestic forage feed self-sufficiency base against imported forage feed.

What efforts are necessary to strengthen the competitiveness of domestic forage feed? First, new varieties that are well adapted to domestic cultivation environments and have high productivity must be developed, and new feed resources should be continuously discovered to secure diverse forage feed resources. Second, to ensure stable year-round supply of forage feed, it is necessary to diversify the production base and establish cropping systems that maximize forage feed yields. Third, a self-sufficiency base focused on high-quality hay production and a distribution system must be established, along with quality control technologies for domestically distributed forage feed.

The National Institute of Animal Science has been focusing its research and development on three main areas: developing excellent domestic forage feed seeds, expanding the forage feed production base, and establishing a quality-based distribution system. Alfalfa, which has excellent feed value and is preferred by farmers, was previously entirely imported due to the widespread perception that it is difficult to cultivate domestically. However, after extensive research, new alfalfa varieties 'Alpha One' and 'Alpha King' were developed last year, and stable cultivation techniques were secured, opening the way for domestic production. Additionally, since last year, as part of a policy project by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to expand summer forage production in rice paddies, 'Saryopi,' a new feed resource that is resistant to waterlogging and has good feed value, has been identified and new variety development is underway to diversify domestic feed resources.

To maximize domestic forage feed production, plans are also being made to expand forage feed cultivation areas, which were mainly winter rice paddies and summer fields, to include summer rice paddies and reclaimed land. Through inter-agency collaboration in the ongoing Jonghyeong Mujin project, a 'Forage Crop Research Group' has been formed to conduct research on waterlogging mitigation technologies and to establish optimal cropping combinations by region for stable year-round forage feed production.

To respond to hay import liberalization and to produce and supply high-quality hay preferred by livestock farmers year-round, a hot-air hay production system was developed in 2022. The plan is to continue expanding distribution, aiming for 20 units by this year and 60 units by 2027. Once the production base is established nationwide, support will be provided to ensure stable distribution of domestically produced hot-air hay in the field.

From past experiences, we know what kind of crisis arises when the domestic self-sufficiency base collapses. Efforts to strengthen the production base are necessary to prevent the forage feed industry, which affects the entire livestock sector, from being shaken by the winds of import market liberalization. Such efforts will create greater synergy when forage feed management entities and livestock farmers join forces and related policies provide support. With the import liberalization of forage feed already underway, we hope that wiser responses will strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic forage feed industry.

Lim Gi-sun, Director of the National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration