Soybean Stockpiling, Localization of Oyster Shells, and Local Government Quarantine Costs
"Second Supplementary Budget Proposal Should Increase Funding to Revitalize Agriculture and Fisheries"
Seosamsuk, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Seosamsuk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Yeongam, Muan, and Shinan in South Jeolla Province), stated on June 26, "During the review of the '2025 Second Supplementary Budget Proposal,' which was submitted as an agenda item at the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee meeting held on June 25, I raised the issue that budget allocations are needed to revitalize the agriculture and fisheries sectors."
Representative Seo pointed out, "The previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration encouraged soybean cultivation as part of its policy to reduce rice cultivation area and established a plan to stockpile 60,000 tons of soybeans in 2025 through a 'stockpiling project.' However, the actual budget allocation only covers 30,000 tons, leaving the responsibility for the remaining 30,000 tons to the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, which is the purchasing agency."
He continued, "With about 130 billion won in unpaid amounts remaining from 2023 to 2024, if the budget for soybean stockpiling is insufficient and the entire production is not purchased, there is a concern that the financial burden on local cooperatives will increase. Therefore, the necessary budget to cover both the shortfall in 2025 and the unpaid amounts should be increased in the second supplementary budget proposal."
There was also a demand to localize oyster shells, which are the foundation for seaweed production. Seo said, "Ninety-nine percent of the oyster shells used for seaweed production are imported from China, with imports totaling 14 billion won over the past five years. Meanwhile, although Korea ranks second in global oyster production, domestic oyster shells are not being utilized. Therefore, a budget should be secured to use domestic shells in line with current conditions to ease the burden on fishing households."
He also criticized the current situation regarding the sharing of quarantine costs between the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and local governments in the event of livestock infectious disease outbreaks. Seo stated, "For first-class livestock infectious diseases, the central and local governments split the quarantine costs equally. However, in the case of Yeongam County, which suffered damages from the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in March, the fiscal independence rate is only 11 percent, making the burden inevitably heavy. Since the law stipulates that the state should provide additional support to local governments for costs incurred in preventing the spread of livestock infectious diseases, the necessary budget should be allocated, and relevant regulations should be revised to further strengthen the central government's responsibility."
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