Operation of Agricultural and Fishery Self-Help Funds to Be Revitalized... Expected Improvement in Supply and Demand Control for Onions, Garlic, etc.

Promulgation of the Amendment to the Agricultural and Fishery Self-Help Fund Act... Establishing Grounds for Revitalizing Self-Help Fund Operations

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The Agricultural and Fishery Commodity Fund-related law has been amended to make supply and demand adjustment of products under the fund projects easier. The government plans to organize producers starting with onions and garlic, whose prices plummeted last year, to enable an autonomous adjustment system to operate.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 18th that the partial amendment to the "Act on the Establishment and Operation of Agricultural and Fishery Commodity Funds" will be promulgated on the 19th and come into effect six months later. According to this amendment, the scope of mandatory fund contributions has been expanded from agricultural and fishery workers who are members of mandatory fund organizations to all agricultural and fishery workers of the relevant items. Currently, mandatory fund items include 12 products such as ginseng, eco-friendly products, lilies, kiwis, pears, paprika, apples, citrus, bean sprouts, melons, cut flowers, and grapes. Voluntary fund items include 13 products such as persimmons, peaches, radishes, cabbages, onions, garlic, peppers, orchids, astringent persimmons, eggplants, cucumbers, green peppers, and strawberries. The Ministry stated that by clarifying the payment and imposition targets of mandatory contributions, it has resolved previous legal interpretation controversies.

Additionally, a basis has been established to restrict various supports for production, distribution, and supply-demand adjustment of agricultural and fishery products for those who fail to pay mandatory contributions. Accordingly, agricultural and fishery workers of items with mandatory commodity funds must prove payment of mandatory contributions to participate in related policy projects. This aims to prevent free-riding by non-payers and to revitalize fund projects.

A provision has also been made to provide agricultural and fishery management registration information so that fund organizations can smoothly identify agricultural and fishery workers of the relevant items. The registration information includes personal data such as name, address, contact information, and cultivation area.

Agricultural commodity funds are established and operated for 25 items, including 12 mandatory and 13 voluntary fund items. Currently, efforts are underway to establish mandatory fund organizations starting with onions and garlic among voluntary fund items to organize producers and enable an autonomous supply-demand adjustment system.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "Through this amendment to the Agricultural and Fishery Commodity Fund Act, more farmers will participate in mandatory commodity funds," adding, "We expect that producers will take the lead in promoting autonomous supply-demand adjustment, consumption promotion, and research and development (R&D), thereby enhancing the competitiveness of our agricultural products."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.