South Korea Rice insights

As rice prices at production sites surpassed 201,680 won (80kg), the government is toying with the idea of releasing public reserve rice. However, this rice price recovery is a process of normalizing prices that had fallen to around 170,000 won during last year's harvest season, so releasing public reserve rice should be restrained. According to the Statistics Korea survey on production site rice prices released on the 17th, rice prices as of June 15th were 201,680 won per 80kg, recovering to the 200,000 won range for the first time since November 2023. This rice price increase is a result of multiple factors, including reduced production volume during last year's harvest season and insufficient inventory. At the field level, rice prices are finally finding their normal level.

The 2025 Rice Flour Bakery Pilgrimage has begun. Its first step is the popup exhibition hall in Seoul's Seongsu-dong, a district dense with popup stores, where visitors can taste new rice flour bread products from 102 bakeries over two days, the 20th and 21st. Prepared jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, and the Korea Confectionery Association, this popup exhibition hall offers not only the award-winning entries from the 'Rice Flour Confectionery and Bakery New Menu Tasting Contest' held at the aT Center 10 days ago, but also allows for sampling. At that contest, Chocolat Hazelnut Pastry (Jean Boulangerie), Nut Bon made with rice flour (Bread Factory Mancam), and Fig Butter & Milk (Lavito) were among the award winners. Starting from the Seongsu-dong popup exhibition hall, the 2025 Rice Flour Bakery Pilgrimage will operate nationwide from June 23 to November 30. Customers purchasing rice flour bread and ...

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Seon-mi = The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 19th that it will operate a popup exhibition for 'Rice Flour Bread Pilgrimage' in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu on the 20th and 21st, in collaboration with Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) and the Korean Confectionery Association. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will introduce new rice flour bread products from 102 bakeries nationwide, including Daejeon Sungshimdang and Jeonju Pungnyeon Confectionery. It will also exhibit and host a tasting event for award-winning items from the 'Rice Flour Confectionery and Bakery New Menu Evaluation' held on the 10th, such as Jean Boulangerie's 'Chocolat Hazelnut Pastry'. Separately, from the 23rd to November 30th, they will operate a consumer participation event called '2025 Rice Flour Bread Pilgrimage'. Consumers who purchase products including rice flour bread for over 20,000 won at nationwide rice flour bread sales outlets will receive a keychain created in collaboration with the production team of the animation 'Bread Barbershop'. Kim Gyeong-eun, head of the Strategic Crop Cultivation Team at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We will create various opportunities for consumers to enjoy rice flour bread and cookies in cooperation with related industries." sun@yna.co.kr