Moon Geumjoo: "Protecting Farmers' Stable Lives from Climate Disasters"

Reintroduction of Amendments to the Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Countermeasures Act and the Agricultural Products Act

Geumju Moon, Member of the National Assembly.

Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Geumju (Goheung, Boseong, Jangheung, Gangjin in South Jeolla Province) announced on the 14th that he has reintroduced the "Amendment to the Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Countermeasures Act" and the "Amendment to the Act on the Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Products" (hereinafter referred to as the Agricultural Products Act Amendment), which had not been promulgated due to the veto exercised by the Yoon Sukyeol administration.

The two bills, for which Moon is the main sponsor, are revised versions of parts of the "Four Agricultural Livelihood Acts" that the Democratic Party adopted as its party platform and passed in last year's National Assembly plenary session, specifically the amendments to the Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Countermeasures Act and the Agricultural Products Act.

The amendment to the Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Countermeasures Act adds "abnormal high temperatures" and "earthquakes" to the agricultural disasters specified in the current law. In addition, it stipulates that if the Agricultural Disaster Countermeasures Review Committee recognizes that wildfires have spread due to abnormal climate and caused agricultural damage, such cases will also be included as agricultural disasters. This is seen as providing a legal basis for government support in restoring damages suffered by farmers due to large-scale wildfires, such as the recent wildfires in the Yeongnam region.

The Agricultural Products Act Amendment stipulates the introduction of an agricultural product price stabilization system and establishes an Agricultural Product Price Stabilization Review Committee to deliberate on the items that require such a system and to review the standard and market prices of those items. This aims to ensure that agricultural products can be consumed at reasonable prices not only by producers but also by consumers.

Moon emphasized, "The Four Agricultural Livelihood Acts, which passed the National Assembly last year, have yet to see the light of day due to the unjust exercise of the veto right by the Yoon Sukyeol administration," adding, "I will do my utmost to establish mechanisms to protect the stable livelihoods of farmers from climate disasters."

Meanwhile, at the plenary session of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee held on the 10th, Moon urged Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Miryeong to actively review the amendment to the Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Countermeasures Act, to which Minister Song reportedly responded positively.