Naju City Integrates with Four Agricultural Cooperatives to Strengthen Rice Quality Competitiveness

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Han-hyuk Lee] Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) is integrating the rice processing complexes (RPCs) of four local agricultural cooperatives into a single corporation to strengthen the competitiveness of rice quality.

On the 18th, the city announced that on the 17th, at the Agricultural Technology Center, NH Nonghyup Naju Branch, and four agricultural cooperatives?Nampyeong, Mahan, Donggang, and Dasi?held the ‘Naju City Nonghyup Rice Cooperative Joint Business Corporation Inaugural General Meeting and Business Agreement’ to establish an integrated RPC business system.

At the inaugural general meeting, attended by Mayor Kang, City Council Chairman Kim Young-deok, provincial and city council members, and about 100 heads of 14 regional agricultural cooperatives, the election of executives and approval of the integrated corporation’s articles of incorporation and business plan (draft) were completed.

The integrated RPC corporation has been promoted as a self-help measure for the grain industry, which is facing difficulties due to external and internal factors such as expanded rice import liberalization, a decrease in the production population, and a shrinking rice consumption culture.

The city plans to strengthen the competitiveness of the rice industry by integrating Naju rice brands such as ‘Wanggeoni Tamnan Rice’ and ‘Dream Saengmi’ and modernizing aging milling facilities to actively respond to changes in distribution environments and consumer preferences.

The integrated RPC plans to apply for corporate approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs through the inaugural general meeting held on the same day.

Mayor Kang In-gyu said, “Through this RPC integration, we expect to overcome the limitations of individual operations and create new momentum for the rice industry by developing representative rice brands and establishing an integrated marketing system. We will actively support the joint corporation so that it can become a hope for farmers.”

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