Paju-si Promotes Rice Cultivation Area Adjustment System... Aiming to Reduce 688.3ha

Resolving Rice Oversupply and Stabilizing Supply and Demand
Priority Allocation of Public Stockpiled Rice to Farms Reducing Cultivation Area

Paju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Kyung-il) announced on the 15th that it will promote the ‘Rice Cultivation Area Adjustment System’ to reduce the cultivation area of rice in order to resolve the problem of rice overproduction and stabilize supply and demand.

'Rice Cultivation Area Adjustment System' Promotion Notice. Provided by Paju City

The ‘Rice Cultivation Area Adjustment System’ is a policy promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs starting this year to address the recurring issue of rice overproduction every year.

Paju City’s reduction target is 688.3 hectares, and farms that reduce their cultivation area will be given priority allocation of public stockpiled rice. Farms that do not comply will be excluded from the allocation of public stockpiled rice.

All farms cultivating rice, regardless of the land category, are subject to cultivation area reduction (excluding eco-friendly rice and rice flour cultivation farms), and the basic principle is area reduction per individual farm. Farmers must reduce their cultivation area by planting strategic crops and landscape crops, switching to other crops or eco-friendly certification, or partial fallowing.

If rice farmers switch to strategic crops, they become eligible for strategic crop direct payments. From this year, the list of eligible crops has expanded to include sesame (both cham sesame and wild sesame), and an additional payment of 100 KRW per square meter is provided when double cropping winter and summer crops.

Paju City plans to send the ‘Cultivation Area Adjustment Imposition and Recommendation Guide’ to rice farmers by the end of January. If farmers need to correct the cultivation area information listed in the guide or wish to comply in a different way, they must submit an ‘Objection Form’ or ‘Implementation Plan’ to the administrative welfare center of their township or neighborhood by February 21, based on the location of their farmland.

The results of the reduction implementation must be submitted by September 1, accompanied by supporting documents such as photos. For more details, visit the Paju City Hall website or contact the industrial team at the administrative welfare center of the township or neighborhood based on the farmland location (Gyohadong and Geumchon 3-dong areas contact the general affairs team), or the Agricultural Policy Division at the Agricultural Technology Center for dong areas.

A Paju City official stated, “We plan to implement various inducement policies for farms participating in the Rice Cultivation Area Adjustment System to strengthen the competitiveness of the rice industry and contribute to stabilizing rice prices,” and added, “We ask for the participation and cooperation of farmers.”