대한민국 곡류 및 콩류 인사이트

[Korea Agricultural and Fishery Newspaper Reporter Kyung-wook Kim] Last year, North Korea's pear cultivation area was surveyed to be 526,670 ha, which is 75.5% of South Korea's rice cultivation area. For the first time since the first survey in 2019, the 530,000 ha mark has fallen. On February 28, Statistics Korea announced the results of the '2024 North Korean Rice Cultivation Area Survey'. According to the survey, North Korea's rice cultivation area last year was 526,670 ha, a 1.3% decrease from 533,591 ha the previous year. North Korea's rice cultivation area decreased from 557,016 ha in 2019, when Statistics Korea first conducted the survey, to 546,97 ha in 2020, and then slightly decreased to 544,006 ha in 2021.

An analysis has been released that excessive reductions in rice cultivation area could lead to rice supply and demand instability. According to the ‘Analysis of Japanese Rice Price Trends and Domestic Implications Report’ submitted to the Korea Rural Economic Institute on the 5th by Song Ok-ju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Hwaseong Gap, Gyeonggi Province, pictured), the government’s current plan to reduce rice cultivation area by 80,000 hectares could lead to decreased production and increased prices in the event of poor harvests. Rep. Song emphasized, “The case of skyrocketing rice prices in Japan (analyzed in the report) reminds us that our government’s excessive policy of increasing the reduction target from 20,000 to 30,000 hectares to 80,000 hectares could lead to a serious food crisis,” and “The government should withdraw its excessive rice cultivation area reduction target that could cause serious confusion.” The Rural Development Administration stated ...

There have been criticisms that the government’s credibility is declining because President Yoon Seok-yeol has not kept his agreement to increase rice production with African countries. Song Ok-joo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gyeonggi Hwaseong Gap, pictured), said on the 25th, “President Yoon said that he would support rice production in African countries suffering from hunger as part of the official development assistance (ODA) project, but the establishment of the K-Rice Belt is not being properly implemented.” According to Song, the government signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with 14 African countries in 2023-2024. However, the government budget was only 13.3 billion won last year and 16.9 billion won this year, so it only supported 7 countries. Rep. Song criticized, “The Yoon Seok-yeol government is receiving criticism for providing valuable national genetic resources by spending government money to help produce Korean rice seeds with two to ...