Government to Raise Food Self-Sufficiency Rate to 55.5%

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Announces 'Mid- to Long-Term Food Security Enhancement Plan'

Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Driving a Combine Harvester

(Iksan=Yonhap News) Reporter Nabo-bae = On October 13, Minister Jeong Hwang-geun of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs visited a powdered rice processing company in Iksan, Jeonbuk, and is seen driving a combine harvester. 2022.10.13
warm@yna.co.kr
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[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The government plans to raise the food self-sufficiency rate to 55.5% by 2027 to strengthen food security.

On the 22nd, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced the "Mid- to Long-term Food Security Enhancement Plan" containing this content. MAFRA prepared the mid- to long-term food security enhancement plan based on the judgment that global supply chain instability and the trend of resource weaponization by major countries are intensifying. A MAFRA official said, "Food security issues are no longer temporary or accidental shocks but are likely to become a constant structural risk," adding, "It was urgent to establish policies to stabilize the supply and demand of major grains against various external shocks."

Food Self-Sufficiency Rate from 44.4% to 55.5%

On the same day, MAFRA presented a plan to raise the food self-sufficiency rate from 44.4% last year to 55.5% by 2027. The self-sufficiency rates for wheat and soybeans will be increased to 8% and 43.5%, respectively. To maintain an appropriate level of farmland area, the farmland reduction rate will be lowered to 0.5%. Over the past five years, the nationwide farmland area has decreased by 1.2% annually.

Production of staple food crops will also be increased. MAFRA plans to first expand specialized production complexes for rice flour and wheat to establish a large-scale, concentrated production system. According to the government’s plan, the rice flour specialized production complex will increase from 100 hectares this year to 42,100 hectares by 2026. During the same period, rice flour production will increase from 500 tons to 200,000 tons by 2027. Additionally, wheat production will increase from 34,000 tons to 168,000 tons, and soybean production will rise from 120,000 tons to 147,000 tons.

The existing paddy field utilization direct payment will be expanded and reorganized into strategic crop direct payments starting next year. This aims to provide cultivation incentives to farmers growing important food security crops such as rice flour to increase production. Furthermore, by 2026, a "Food and Agriculture Climate Change Response Center" will be established to strengthen responses to climate change affecting agricultural productivity. The plan also includes converting more than 30% of agricultural production to smart farming by 2027 to improve productivity.

Expansion of Public Stockpiles for Wheat, Soybeans, etc.

Public stockpiles of staple food crops such as wheat and soybeans will also be increased. MAFRA plans to raise the wheat stockpile from 17,000 tons this year to 50,000 tons by 2027. During the same period, soybean stockpiles will expand from 25,000 tons to 55,000 tons. In response to the expansion of domestic wheat production, plans will be made to build new dedicated wheat storage facilities.

Support will also be provided for private companies to secure overseas grain supply chains. The government plans to increase overseas grain distribution facilities such as grain elevators from two locations this year to five by 2027. Additionally, a low-interest loan support plan worth 50 billion KRW will be prepared next year, and a "Food and Agriculture Fund" will be established with joint public-private participation to secure stable investment funds.

Amendments to the "Overseas Agricultural and Forest Resources Development Cooperation Act" will also be pursued to enhance the effectiveness of importing grains secured overseas during emergencies. To strengthen the response capability to food crisis situations, a mutual cooperation system will be established with major grain-exporting countries. The plan also includes expanding the scope of the ASEAN+3 Rice Stockpile System (APTERR), currently focused on rice, to include wheat.

A MAFRA official said, "We will implement detailed plans and follow-up legislative measures to ensure that the various policy tasks included in this measure proceed smoothly," adding, "We will strive to build a national consensus on strengthening food security."

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