Sacheon City Selects Rice Varieties for 2026 Public Stockpiling Program

Yeonghojinmi and Aram Selected for Next Year
Youngjin Excluded After Severe Brown Planthopper Damage

Sacheon City in South Gyeongsang Province announced on May 21 that 'Yeonghojinmi' and 'Aram' have been finally selected as the rice varieties to be purchased for the 2026 Public Stockpiling Rice Program.

The city selected 'Yeonghojinmi' and 'Aram' as the 2026 public stockpiling rice purchase varieties through a selection committee composed of representatives from administrative agencies, agricultural cooperatives, and farmer production organizations, as well as confirmation by South Gyeongsang Province.

From 2023 to 2025, the city had selected 'Yeonghojinmi' and 'Youngjin' as the public stockpiling rice purchase varieties. However, as damage from brown planthopper has increased due to climate change, there were opinions that it was necessary to change to varieties more suitable for the local area.

Sacheon City 2026 Public Stockpiling Rice Purchase Variety Selection Deliberation Committee.

Accordingly, the city has selected 'Yeonghojinmi' and 'Aram' as the public stockpiling rice purchase varieties for 2026.

'Yeonghojinmi' is a mid-late maturing variety known for its excellent eating quality, while 'Aram' is a variety developed by the Gyeongnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services, boasting superior appearance and eating quality, and will replace the existing 'Youngjin' variety.

Farmers are not required to cultivate only 'Yeonghojinmi' and 'Aram'; they may freely choose which varieties to grow, taking into account their management conditions and marketing channels.

However, farmers wishing to sell rice for public stockpiling or market isolation must be careful, as shipping varieties other than the designated purchase varieties will result in exclusion from the purchase program for five years.

A city official stated, "We will make every effort to ensure the stable supply and distribution of seeds for 'Yeonghojinmi' and 'Aram,' which have been selected as the 2026 purchase varieties, and will actively promote and provide cultivation management guidance to prevent confusion among farmers due to the variety change."

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