(Cheorwon=Yonhap News) Reporter Yang Ji-woong = Gangwon Cheorwon County recently revealed on the 18th that County Mayor Lee Hyun-jong, who visited the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, proposed an improvement plan for the regional issue of the "1 city/county 2 integrated rice processing centers (RPC)" standard. According to the county, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is currently promoting the 1 city/county 1 integrated RPC through the high-quality rice circulation revitalization project. While the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs recognizes the eligibility for support for 2 agricultural cooperative RPCs if the annual rice purchase quantity in the city/county agricultural cooperative is more than 30,000 tons, there is no clear guideline for RPCs with 30,000 tons or less. The county mayor, along with the chairman of the Cheorwon Agricultural Cooperative, visited the ministry and explained to the officials of the Food and Agriculture Industry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs about the future integration plan of the 4 agricultural cooperative RPCs in the region and the regional characteristics. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs responded that they would clarify the eligibility criteria for the integrated RPC, and coordinate with the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation and the Grain Business Division of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives to reflect it in next year's business guidelines. An official from Cheorwon County said, "We plan to establish a joint corporation of the cooperatives in consultation with the 4 local agricultural cooperatives, set a clear integration direction through consulting, and strive for stable high-quality rice production and circulation without burdening the agricultural cooperatives or farmers."