Suspicion of Illegal Burial of Agricultural Waste at a Farm in Jeju

Company Official Explains "No Legal Issues with Starch-Processed Concentrate Feed"

Nearby Racetrack Suffers from Foul Odor... Worried About Losing Weekend Business

A strong foul-smelling substance is being sprayed at a farm in Yusuam-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si.

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Chang-won] Allegations have been raised that starch residue, an agricultural waste, is being illegally buried on a farm in Jeju.

According to informant Mr. A on the 18th, a substance suspected to be starch residue was discovered at a farm in Yusuam-ri, Jeju City, the previous night.

At the site, hundreds of ton bag sacks presumed to contain starch residue were piled up, and some of them were reportedly buried in the ground.

Starch residue is the leftover pulp after processing sweet potatoes and potatoes, and it is an agricultural waste that emits a strong foul odor.

When disposing of it, it must be sent to a recycling company to be processed into concentrate feed that animals can eat, or sent to a waste disposal company with payment.

If handled illegally, under the Waste Management Act, offenders may face a fine of up to 20 million won or imprisonment of up to 2 years.

Mr. A reported to the police and filed a complaint with Jeju City, citing the high moisture content and strong foul odor observed with the naked eye, concluding that it was starch residue rather than concentrate feed.

A representative of the supplier to the farm owner explained, "If heat treatment is applied to starch residue, it becomes concentrate feed," adding, "The odor at the site is due to heat generated from the concentrate feed, which is legally permitted and supplied as a normal product, so there is no legal violation."

The farm owner stated, "We are currently working only on the opened ton bag sacks and covering them well with soil to minimize the odor, and we will return the remaining quantity to the supplier."

Meanwhile, the Korea Racing Authority Jeju Regional Headquarters near the farm is deeply concerned and struggling to devise countermeasures, as severe odors are expected to cause great inconvenience to visitors.

Jeju=Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Chang-won bless4ya@asiae.co.kr

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