"Last year's consumption of glutinous rice flour reached 13% of production... stockpile of soybeans also surges"

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yoon-gu = Last year, although the production of glutinous rice flour and paddy beans increased sharply, it was found that storage costs have risen due to sluggish consumption.

According to data submitted by the Democratic Party's Eo Ki-gu, chairman of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Food, and Marine Committee, to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, last year's production of glutinous rice flour was 27,040 tons, but the consumption was only 2,622 tons (12.7%).

Due to the sluggish consumption, 18,842 tons are being stored in warehouses, with storage costs amounting to 125 million won per month.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries' budget for glutinous rice flour business was 71 billion won in 2023, 168 billion won last year, and 193 billion won this year, but the government's plan for next year is set at 101 billion won, a sharp decrease from this year.

The cultivation area is also targeted to be reduced from 16,000 hectares this year to 8,000 hectares next year.

The situation with domestic beans (paddy beans) is similar.

With the expansion of paddy bean cultivation policy, the cultivation area is expected to increase, and the production is expected to increase from 141,500 tons in 2023 to over 178,000 tons this year.

Currently, the storage amount of paddy beans is 79,200 tons, and the storage cost amounts to 444 million won per month.

According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute, the paddy bean cultivation area this year is expected to increase by 46.7% (14,820 hectares) compared to last year to 32,920 hectares, due to government policies such as the direct payment system for strategic crops and the rice cultivation area adjustment system.

However, as the price of domestic beans is several times higher than that of imported beans, it is difficult to find a sales outlet, raising concerns about overproduction.

The government added both glutinous rice flour and paddy beans to the direct payment items for strategic crops last year, citing rice supply and demand stabilization, and actively encouraged cultivation, but as sales channels have not been secured, the government's purchase has turned into a long-term storage structure, pointed out Eo Ki-gu.

Eo Ki-gu emphasized, "The damage to farmers who invested in the cultivation of glutinous rice flour and paddy beans, trusting the government, is becoming a reality," and "To prevent further damage to farmers due to fluctuating agricultural policies, the government must quickly establish supply management and consumption activation measures."