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Report from the Harvest Site of Domestically Developed Powdered Rice Variety 'Baromi2'
Jung Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: "A 'Godsend' to Solve the Food Security Crisis... We Will Expand Consumer Base"

On the 13th, Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is driving a combine harvester to harvest the powdered rice variety 'Baromi2' at a rice farm in Iksan, Jeonbuk. (Photo by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

[Asia Economy Iksan·Gunsan=Reporter Son Seon-hee] On the 13th, at the rice cultivation farm ‘Mimi Nongsan’ located in Iksan City, Jeonbuk, golden rice grains are fully ripened and spread widely, with a harvesting combine cheerfully moving among them. It is a typical autumn harvest scene, but the rice grown here is special. It is the first harvested powder rice variety of the year, ‘Baromi2’.

"To see the crops grow so well... it truly is a gift from God." Minister Jeong Hwang-geun of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who visited the harvest site in person that day, looked at the rice stalks bowed deeply under the weight of the plump grains with an emotional expression. He, who often thinks about powder rice so much that it even appears in his dreams, smiled broadly and personally operated the combine. A nearby farmer watching this shouted loudly, "Minister, powder rice is the hope of farmers!" causing the on-site staff to burst into laughter.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, food security has become a global issue, while South Korea ironically faces conflicts over decades of rice oversupply. Minister Jeong, who took office during this situation, proposed powder rice as a solution to overcome the crisis. Powder rice is a newly developed variety using purely domestic technology, which, unlike regular rice, can be easily crushed by hand and processed by dry milling. It is gaining attention as the next-generation food to replace wheat, whose self-sufficiency rate is currently below 1%.

On the 13th, Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (left), is having a conversation with a representative of 'Mimi Nongsan,' a powdered rice farming company located in Iksan, Jeonbuk. (Photo by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Baromi2 harvested that day was planted around the end of June. It took less than four months from transplanting to harvest. Regular rice usually takes more than five months to harvest. Minister Jeong said, "Other rice varieties were transplanted a month earlier but are still not ready for harvest," adding, "After harvest, there is capacity to grow other crops on the empty fields, and farmers can spend less time in the paddies due to the shortened harvest period, which reduces production costs."

The government has allocated a budget of 10.7 billion won next year to promote the spread of powder rice. Farmers who double-crop powder rice and wheat will receive a strategic crop direct payment of 2.5 million won per month. About 1,260 farms were selected through prior applications, with a competition rate of 1.6 to 1, showing strong interest from farmers. The government plans to purchase 100% of the produced powder rice at market price, even without contract farming. The goal is to increase the cultivation area from the current 100 hectares to 42,100 hectares by around 2026, and production from 500 tons to 200,000 tons during the same period.

The key issue is demand. At the on-site meeting that day, even the producing farmers requested support for the consuming companies. Lee Seung-taek, a 28-year veteran farmer and representative of Mimi Nongsan, who has been farming for four generations, said, "Many people around me want to try growing Baromi, so production does not seem to be a problem, but consumption is the issue," adding, "Since consumption is necessary to balance supply and demand, follow-up measures must be prepared." Kim Dae-nam, representative of Kkumyeong Farming in Buyeo County, Chungnam, who plans to cultivate powder rice from next year, said, "No matter how good powder rice is, people hesitate to buy it because it is expensive," and added, "We appreciate support for farmers, but if opportunities are given to consuming companies, the potential for powder rice development will be higher." Shin Ji-ho, representative of Jeonju Woorimil Farming, also supported this, saying, "There must be consumers for cultivation to be possible," and "The success of powder rice depends on balancing production and consumption."

In fact, powder rice is still in the early stage of market formation. Farmers hesitate to cultivate this unfamiliar variety, and due to the small supply, its price is more than twice that of imported wheat, making it difficult for consumers to readily purchase it.

On the 13th, Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (center), is having a conversation with Hong Dong-su, CEO of Hong Yun Bakery (left), in Gunsan, Jeonbuk. All the bread sold at Hong Yun Bakery is made from ingredients such as powdered rice and domestic wheat. (Photo by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

Nevertheless, there are cases that recognized the value of powder rice early and succeeded in commercialization. Hong Yun Bakery in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, has been making and selling bread made from powder rice and domestic wheat for six years. Hong Dong-su, the first certified master baker in Gunsan and representative of Hong Yun Bakery, explained, "Although the price is about 10% higher than wheat flour bread, customer response is good, resulting in more profit," adding, "Bread made from powder rice contains almost no gluten, so it is popular among patients who cannot eat wheat flour foods, the elderly, and children."

Hong personally contracts with farms to secure a stable supply of powder rice. There is even a rice grinder set up in a corner of the store. This year, about 12 tons of powder rice were received and almost all consumed. However, the raw material price remains a concern as powder rice costs about 3,500 won per kilogram compared to 1,000 to 1,500 won for wheat. Hong said, "It is difficult to obtain raw materials without contract farming," adding, "Farmers will cultivate only if there is a market, so it would be good if powder rice could be used universally by everyone."

The government is also putting its life on the marketization of powder rice. Recently, with government support, 10 master bakers developed 30 types of bread and confectionery using powder rice, and related recipes will be released nationwide to the relevant industries in book and video formats starting next month. Food conglomerates such as CJ, SPC, and Harim are participating in a government-led task force (TF) and have started R&D on food products using powder rice. The government plans to provide 60 to 100 tons of this year’s harvested powder rice to these companies for testing. Minister Jeong emphasized repeatedly, "Powder rice is a practical means for food security and this is just the beginning," adding, "Not only the government but also farmers, related organizations, and local governments must unite their efforts to ensure its success."

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