Kimcheon Nears Completion of Public Rice Reserve Purchase

First Application of New 800kg Sacks and DNA Testing
3,584 Tons Secured

Kimcheon City has effectively entered the final stage of purchasing public rice reserves for the 2025 harvest.

On December 2, city officials visited the Apo Agricultural Cooperative Agricultural Products Distribution Center to directly inspect the progress of the purchase and to reconfirm the strengthened variety standards and packaging specifications implemented this year.

Kimcheon City Nears Completion of 2025 Public Rice Stockpiling Purchase
Baek Nakho, Mayor of Kimcheon City (left), Yoon Youngsoo, Kimcheon City Council Member

The 2025 public rice reserve purchase includes two varieties: Yeonghojinmi and Haedam. The total purchase volume amounts to 3,584 tons (1,045 tons of freshly harvested rice, 2,073 tons of dried rice, and 466 tons of rice for flour). The purchase of freshly harvested rice was completed on November 14, while the purchase of dried rice will continue until December 4.

Starting this year, the use of new 800kg sacks has become mandatory, and the old sacks are no longer eligible for purchase. Farmers must pack dried rice, adjusted to a moisture content of 13-15%, in the new sacks. This measure is aimed at ensuring safety in storage and transportation, as well as establishing a quality-focused purchasing system.

DNA variety testing has also been strengthened to prevent the mixing of different rice varieties in public reserves. Five percent of participating farms are randomly sampled for inspection. If more than 20% of rice other than the designated varieties is detected, the farm will be excluded from the purchase program for five years.

The city emphasized, "Even small mistakes in cultivation or storage by farmers can lead to long-term disadvantages," urging strict compliance with variety management.

The purchase price is calculated based on the national average farm-gate rice price during the harvest season, with payment made per 40kg unit. An interim payment of 40,000 won per 40kg is provided immediately after the purchase, and the final settlement will be paid by the end of December once the rice price is finalized.

Baek Nakho, Mayor of Kimcheon City, said, "I would like to thank the farmers for their best efforts to produce high-quality rice despite the difficult conditions caused by frequent rainfall," adding, "We will further strengthen on-site management to ensure that no damage occurs to the farms."

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