Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, "Roadmap for Expansion and Reform of Agricultural Direct Payment System to be Prepared by March"

At the Plenary Meeting of the National Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, announced on the 20th that "a roadmap for the expansion and reform of the agricultural direct payment system will be prepared by March."

On this day, Minister Jeong made this statement during his greeting at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee.

Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is reporting on duties at the full meeting of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee held at the National Assembly on the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Jeong emphasized, "In response to challenges on both the supply side, such as high raw material prices and high interest rates, and the demand side, including export and domestic demand contraction, we will alleviate the management difficulties of farming households and enhance the crisis response capability of our agriculture and livestock industry. We will establish a robust farm management safety net through the expansion and reform of the agricultural direct payment system and by resolving management instability of farming households caused by disasters and supply-demand situations."

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to reduce the rice cultivation area while expanding the production of wheat, soybeans, and other crops by introducing a strategic crop direct payment system to secure food security. To this end, starting this year, 500,000 to 4,300,000 KRW per hectare (ha) will be paid when cultivating flour rice, wheat, soybeans, or forage crops instead of rice paddies.

Additionally, to prepare for international supply chain crises, 50 billion KRW in secondary interest subsidies will be provided to support private companies in expanding overseas grain distribution networks. To activate the import of grains secured overseas in emergencies, the Ministry plans to revise the Overseas Agriculture and Forestry Act within the year to establish a basis for compensation for losses incurred due to import orders.

A new rural environment for rural residents and urban citizens will be created, and animal welfare will be strengthened. To alleviate regional extinction and activate functions as workplaces, rest areas, and living spaces for farmers and urban residents, efforts will be made to resolve indiscriminate development, improve rural spatial planning, and supplement social service delivery systems. At the same time, the import, sale, and funeral services of companion animals will be converted to a licensing system, and the Animal Protection Act will be restructured into an animal welfare law system.

Key issues include livestock disease prevention, stabilization of Korean beef supply and demand, and disaster response in the agricultural sector. Minister Jeong stated, "We will enhance the effectiveness of quarantine by implementing differentiated quarantine measures for African Swine Fever (ASF) risk areas and farms, and collaborate with the Ministry of Environment to reduce wild boar populations. To resolve oversupply, we will reduce 140,000 cows by 2024, and to lower production costs for Korean beef farmers and expand consumer choices, we will introduce a low-carbon certification system for Korean beef and promote shortening the breeding period."

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