Rice Bowl Fight Over Plowing Rice... A Struggle for 'Lee Jae-myung's' Rice Price Normalization?

In December last year and April, the People Power Party urged rice market isolation
With power switched between ruling and opposition parties, this time the Democratic Party forcibly passes the 'Grain Management Act Amendment'
Power struggle held hostage by 'livelihood'
Rice price per bowl '220 won'... What happened to the original intention to support farmers plowing under rice paddies when even feed costs aren't covered?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

#Who said the following?

"Why hasn't the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries implemented the rice market isolation measures promised to farmers? The party will take the lead in improving the system, including preparing a plan to improve the lowest-price competitive bidding method."

"I am concerned that the delay in market isolation might have been decided solely from the perspective of price control by the financial authorities. The government must promptly proceed with additional isolation of all excess market supply."

Although these statements might seem to have come from the Democratic Party, which unilaterally passed the 'Grain Management Act Amendment' at the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee's Agricultural Law Review Subcommittee on the 15th, they were all made by the People Power Party. Specifically, these remarks were made by Representative Seong Il-jong on April 26 of this year and Jang Soon-chil, then spokesperson for the People Power Party's election committee, on December 28 last year, regarding the party and government's additional rice isolation measures.

Despite soaring prices, only rice prices have been falling, damaging farmers' livelihoods, prompting the National Assembly to call for measures to support farmers since the second half of last year. The opposition party at the time, the People Power Party, criticized the government and ruling party for the possibility of 'missing the opportunity.'

When rice is overproduced or rice prices plummet, the government minimizes farmers' damage through rice isolation measures. These market isolations were carried out three times last December, this April, and July. However, the timing was missed as it should have been done proactively during the 'harvest season,' and the purchase method was the 'lowest-price bidding' system, where rice is bought at the lowest offered price, leading to criticism that it does not provide effective help to farmers who say, "Even after harvesting, the price is less than dog feed."

Eventually, this year, rice prices fell at the steepest rate in 45 years, leading farmers to give up farming and take to protests.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Rice sells for 220 won per bowl (100g). Even if it returns to last year's level of 300 won, considering the increased costs of fertilizer and labor due to inflation, farmers who are plowing their rice fields with tractors instead of combines (grain harvesting machines) say there is no change despite the government changing. Rice prices continue to decline, government measures are always a step late, and farmers consistently call for 'rice price normalization.'

Meanwhile, the political stance has changed. This time, the Democratic Party, now the opposition, criticized the government and ruling party's lukewarm measures. They proposed alternatives through legislation in the National Assembly, bringing up the 'Grain Management Act Amendment.' The bill includes changing the market isolation measure from a discretionary clause to a mandatory one, automatically isolating excess production, and improving the lowest-price competitive bidding method.

Broadly speaking, these are points both ruling and opposition parties have emphasized. 'Rice price normalization' is not a matter to be divided by political stance. Moreover, the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee itself has not been a place of political conflict unlike other standing committees. However, breaking the tradition of 'zero snap votes,' the Democratic Party forcibly passed the Grain Management Act yesterday, placing the 'gentlemanly standing committee' at the center of political strife.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Grain Management Act amendment was one of the '22 livelihood bills' that Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung pledged to actively promote in this regular session of the National Assembly. Some interpret the Democratic Party's unilateral passage of the Grain Management Act as a deliberate push to exercise legislative power to the fullest as the largest party in the assembly under the banner of 'livelihood.' The People Power Party, concerned about the potential burden on government finances, interprets this as a rejection of the 'Lee Jae-myung-style livelihood bill.'

However, there is no place for 'political strife' in front of the rice being plowed under.

Despite heavy rains and typhoons, this year's harvest was fortunately abundant, but farmers remain worried about further declines in rice prices.

Both ruling and opposition parties have expressed their determination to 'cooperate' for the people's livelihood in this regular session, but starting with the non-contentious issue of rice price normalization, they are struggling over whether it is 'Lee Jae-myung-style' or not, making it difficult to find sincerity.

This bill, having passed the subcommittee of the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee, must go through the full committee, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and the plenary session. The public will witness political battles at every stage, but hopefully, the initial intention to genuinely consider the 'value of rice' will not be lost in the 'political turf war' between parties.

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