Boryeong City, Chungnam Province, announced that it will freeze the rice drying fees at the integrated Nonghyup RPC despite rising fuel and electricity costs, and will provide support for rice drying fees to farmers.
According to the city on the 28th, the price of tax-free fuel oil (kerosene) used for rice drying at the integrated Nonghyup RPC has more than doubled from 610 KRW per liter in 2020 to 1,223 KRW in 2023.
In addition, the amount used increased by more than 30%, from 133,035 liters in 2020 to 191,184 liters in 2023, making it inevitable to raise rice drying fees.
In response, the city will invest a total of 100 million KRW to support the drying fees for approximately 20,000 tons of 2024 rice, providing 200 KRW per 40kg sack to the integrated RPC.
The city expects that by preemptively freezing the rice drying fees at the integrated RPC amid recent inflation, it will help stabilize farmers' incomes and sustain the high-quality image of Boryeong rice.
Mayor Kim Dongil said, "The rice drying fee support program is an essential policy for preserving farmers' incomes and maintaining the foundation for producing high-quality rice in Boryeong," adding, "We will continue to actively discover and implement sustainable support measures for farmers in the future."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
