South Korean regions implement rice production adjustments

South Korean regional governments are implementing measures to manage rice oversupply and stabilize farmer income through strategic crop transitions and increased direct payments.

In Daegu, the rice cultivation area has decreased by 6.9% compared to last year, reaching 4,816 hectares. This decline is significantly higher than the national average reduction of 1.1%. While productivity per unit has increased slightly, the overall expected production in the region is projected to drop by 3.9%. To mitigate income loss, the government is utilizing the strategic crop direct payment system, providing up to 5 million won per hectare for supply-regulating rice and 5.5 million won for summer forage crops.

In Sejong, the city has successfully increased its national budget for strategic crop direct payments from 290 million won to 1.1 billion won. This was achieved by expanding the cultivation of supply-regulating rice, which is intended for processing rather than table rice to manage supply. Sejong also reported a 76% increase in public reserve rice allocations, the highest growth rate in the country, as part of its efforts to incentivize farmers to participate in the national production adjustment policy.