SEOUL: South Korea's agriculture ministry said Wednesday it will push to raise the target price of rice in line with inflation to guarantee a stable level of income for local farmers.
Lee Gae-ho, the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, said the government will submit the new target price to the parliament in early November, but he didn't disclose the specific price range.
The policymaker earlier said the price should be over 194,000 won (US$173.8) per 80 kilograms, while farmers' associations have demanded more than 200,000 won. The current target price was set five years ago.
"We are pushing to reflect the inflation rate in the target price of rice in the process of negotiation with the parliament," Lee said during a parliamentary audit.
"We will change the target price to improve income for farmers and will push for a revision of the rice subsidy system that meets public expectations."
In South Korea, the government annually purchases homegrown rice to stabilize the domestic market, which is grappling with oversupply, and provides subsidies for rice farmers. The chronic oversupply of rice comes as a growing number of South Koreans have been reducing their rice intake and diversifying their diets with alternatives like wheat, barley, beans and corn.
The minister also vowed to step up quarantine efforts to prevent chronic outbreaks of contagious animal disease, including avian influenza (AI) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Outbreaks of bird and swine flu have been prevalent in South Korea during the winter season, prompting the government to upgrade quarantine inspections and other preventive measures.
"The government has set a special quarantine period from this month to February to promptly deal with emergency situations," Lee said. "We will adopt strong quarantine measures against AI and FMD to lessen the burden on local farms."
Highly pathogenic avian influenza comprises a range of viruses that cause severe disease in birds and result in high death rates, leading to massive culling of chickens and ducks.
FMD is an acute infectious viral disease of livestock that causes fever followed by the development of vesicles chiefly in the mouth and on the feet. It is one of the most infectious diseases for livestock and can spread rapidly if uncontrolled.
In light of the recent discovery of thousands of red fire ants in the nation, Lee said the government will expand quarantine inspection to a wider range of items, including industrial goods.
The ministry has strengthened inspections into agriculture and fishery products after the discovery of the foreign insects in Pyeongtaek in June, but about 5,900 red fire ants were spotted inside a container in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, earlier this month.
"We take the red fire ant problem very seriously," Lee said. "We will make efforts to expand the quarantine inspection not only to agriculture and food products but also to industrial goods if needed."
Red fire ants have a sting that can cause a severe allergic reaction, including breathing problems, and in severe cases can lead to death.
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