Minister Song Visits Open-Field Spring Napa Cabbage Farms to Inspect Growth Conditions
Contract Cultivation and Stockpiling of Spring Napa Cabbage to Increase by About 50% Compared to Last Year
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the storage volume of napa cabbage to be shipped this month has increased by up to 19%, and consumer prices are expected to stabilize soon.
The ministry stated that Minister Song Mi-ryeong visited an open-field spring napa cabbage cultivation site located in Baebang-eup, Asan-si, Chungnam on the 17th to check the growth status.
Song Miryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (center), is inspecting the growth status at an open-field spring cabbage cultivation site located in Baebang-eup, Asan-si, Chungnam, on the 17th.
An official from the ministry said, "Currently, the winter napa cabbages being shipped have higher consumer prices compared to the average due to decreased production caused by last autumn's high temperatures and this winter's cold wave. However, according to an investigation of winter napa cabbage storage volumes by a wholesale company in the Garak Market in Seoul, the storage napa cabbages to be shipped in April have increased by 10-19% compared to the previous and average years, leading to a recent drop in wholesale prices to average levels. Consumer prices are also expected to gradually stabilize with a time lag."
Accordingly, the ministry plans to make every effort to manage the supply of spring napa cabbage, which will begin shipping in late this month. First, the volume of contracted spring napa cabbage cultivation and stockpiling will be expanded by about 50% compared to the previous year. The government will purchase and stock all the expanded cultivation volume so that contracted farmers can produce napa cabbage with confidence, and supply it to wholesale markets and kimchi manufacturers in case of supply instability during the summer. In addition, to prepare for growth retardation caused by abnormal weather such as spring cold waves and heavy rain, the ministry will also provide agricultural materials such as spare seedlings and pesticides, as well as support for growth management.
According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute's forecast, the cultivation area of spring napa cabbage this year is expected to increase by more than 10% compared to the previous and average years, stabilizing the supply and demand of spring napa cabbage.
Minister Song said, "For major vegetables with high prices such as napa cabbage and radish, discount support of up to 40% will be provided until April, and we will make every effort to stabilize supply and demand by expanding market supply of government stockpiles and private storage volumes. Due to frequent recent abnormal weather and a decrease in summer napa cabbage cultivation area, the importance of spring napa cabbage supply management has increased. Therefore, local governments, agricultural cooperatives, and related organizations are requested to actively cooperate in expanding contract cultivation and supporting growth management to ensure stable production of spring napa cabbage."
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