Former Ministers of Agriculture and Food Gathered in One Place "Concerns Over Grain Act and Agricultural Security Act"

Attendees of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs former ministers' invitation meeting are taking a commemorative photo. From the front row, left to right: 46th Choi In-ki, 44th Heo Shin-haeng, Minister Song Mi-ryeong, 53rd Kim Young-jin, 47th Kang Woon-tae; from the back row, left to right: 60th Seo Gyu-yong, 62nd Kim Jae-soo, 54th Heo Sang-man, 58th Jang Tae-pyeong, 61st Lee Dong-pil, 66th Jeong Hwang-geun, former ministers.

Former Ministers of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expressed concerns about the amendments to the Grain Management Act and the Act on the Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Products.

On the 14th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that Minister Song Mi-ryeong held a luncheon meeting inviting former ministers, veterans of the agricultural sector, to discuss the direction of agricultural and rural policies as well as recent major agricultural issues including the Grain Act and the Agricultural and Fishery Products Price Stabilization Act.

The meeting was attended by former ministers Heo Shin-haeng (44th), Choi In-gi (46th), Kang Woon-tae (47th), Kim Young-jin (53rd), Heo Sang-man (54th), Jang Tae-pyeong (58th), Seo Gyu-yong (60th), Lee Dong-pil (61st), Kim Jae-soo (62nd), and Jeong Hwang-geun (66th).

First, Minister Song expressed gratitude to the former ministers for their dedication and efforts, shared the vision for agricultural and rural policies to address structural issues such as climate change, rural population decline, and aging, and to promote the agri-food industry as a future growth industry, while gathering diverse opinions from the former ministers.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "At this meeting, Minister Song explained the amendments to the Grain Act and the Agricultural and Fishery Products Price Stabilization Act, as well as major agricultural policy issues such as ending dog meat consumption." The official added, "Many of the former ministers expressed concerns about the Grain Act and the Agricultural and Fishery Products Price Stabilization Act, advising that the government should continue communication with the National Assembly and the field with alternatives for the development of agriculture."

Regarding this, Minister Song said, "We will prepare practical measures to support future agriculture, such as strengthening proactive supply and demand management and early expansion of the agricultural direct payment budget, while closely communicating with the National Assembly, the agricultural sector, and various stakeholders." She added, "We will actively reflect the valuable insights of former ministers, based on their rich experience, in policies for agricultural development."