Jeong Hwang-geun: "Please make K-Food with domestic powdered rice... Continue to promote activation policies"

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Holds Meeting with Food Companies to Revitalize Powdered Rice Industry
Discussing Measures to Stabilize Supply of Powdered Rice Raw Materials

Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, urged food companies researching and developing powdered rice products to "create genuine K-Food using domestically produced powdered rice, not imported raw materials," and pledged, "We will steadily pursue powdered rice policies until the powdered rice market is established."

On the 27th of last month, Minister Jeong held a meeting to revitalize the powdered rice industry with 17 food companies at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. The meeting was organized to listen to the opinions of food companies researching and developing new products using powdered rice and to foster a sustainable powdered rice industry ecosystem. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is strongly committed to promoting policies to revitalize powdered rice, including expanding the cultivation area of powdered rice fields to 10,000 hectares next year, five times larger than this year.

Food companies such as Nongshim and Samyang Foods expressed their understanding of the current imbalance in rice supply and demand in Korean agriculture and the high dependence on imported food raw materials, and showed their determination to create new powdered rice products. They emphasized the need for continuous government interest and investment. Opinions were also exchanged on promoting collaboration among food companies during the development and research of powdered rice products.

Measures to stabilize the supply of powdered rice raw materials were also discussed. While agreeing on the necessity of supporting the production stage to ensure a stable supply of high-quality raw materials tailored to the food industry's demand, there were also opinions that price competitiveness of raw materials must be secured.

Some companies expressed their intention to explore overseas market entry for powdered rice products. The food industry reached a consensus on the need to develop differentiated products that leverage the value of domestically produced powdered rice and create new markets. Some companies also emphasized the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management aspects, highlighting carbon reduction through domestic sourcing of raw materials and the eco-friendly characteristics of milling, which uses less water.

Minister Jeong said, "The government is working together to achieve tangible results in expanding the domestic and international powdered rice markets, from stable production to expanding the consumption base," adding, "We will continue to actively listen to voices from the field and strive to reflect them in policies."

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held a 'Powdered Rice Industry Revitalization Meeting' on April 27 at the aT Center, attended by food companies involved in powdered rice research and product development.

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