Samseok Seo: "Domestic Onion Prices Lower Than Imported Ones"

Price Reversal Continues for Four Months
Assemblyman Calls for Fundamental Government Agricultural Policy Measures

Samseok Seo, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea representing Yeongam, Muan, and Sinan, has called for the government to come up with structural measures, emphasizing that the price of domestically produced onions has remained lower than that of imported onions for an extended period.

On March 11, during an Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee meeting at the National Assembly, Assemblyman Seo pointed out the government's inadequate response regarding the reversal in the price gap between domestic and imported onions during the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ work report.

According to Assemblyman Seo, for approximately four months since November of last year, the price of imported onions has continued to outpace that of domestically produced onions. Most recently, the price of top-grade domestic onions fell to 674 won per kilogram, even lower than the price of lower-grade imported onions, which stood at 678 won per kilogram.

Assemblyman Seo remarked, "The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is projecting a future price increase due to a reduction in cultivation area. However, the current decline in prices is so steep that it remains uncertain whether the price gap with imported onions can be closed even after the early-harvested varieties hit the market in earnest."

He also highlighted the need to improve the storage and distribution structure of domestic onions. Assemblyman Seo explained, "While domestic onions are stored and distributed for about seven months after the late-maturing varieties are harvested, Chinese onions are produced and distributed year-round. In this structure, it is inevitable that the quality of stored domestic onions will deteriorate, making it essential to fundamentally improve the production system, such as developing varieties that can be produced even after the late-maturing harvest."

Assemblyman Seo also raised concerns about the government's response to illegal activities involving imported onions. He urged the government to clarify its position regarding the producer groups' demand for a comprehensive investigation into illegal activities related to imported onions.

He also raised the need for institutional improvements regarding the recent issue of feed contamination related to African swine fever. Assemblyman Seo stated, "The detection of African swine fever genes in compound feed reveals the limitations of the current feed inspection system. The feed inspection system, which currently focuses on quality control, must be transformed into a biosecurity-centered system that can also detect infectious disease contamination."

Assemblyman Seo further noted, "In the case of cattle, the use of animal protein is strictly restricted to prevent mad cow disease, but for pigs, the feed structure allows interspecies consumption. During outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF), stricter safety management standards must be introduced, including restrictions on interspecies consumption in pig feed."

He also addressed the corn seed shortage issue caused by climate change. Assemblyman Seo emphasized, "There is an annual shortage of about 50 tons of corn seed domestically. From the perspective of food security, it is urgent to increase research personnel for corn seed development and to establish a stable seed supply chain."

Assemblyman Seo concluded, "The stabilization of agricultural product prices, livestock disease control, and seed production are all core issues directly linked to food security. The government must go beyond short-term measures like boosting consumption and prepare fundamental agricultural policies to enhance agricultural competitiveness, such as developing new varieties and expanding research and development (R&D)."

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