2024-05-19 00:12:08
As well as, the opposition occasion, together with the Democratic Celebration of Korea, is predicted to forcefully cross amendments to the Grain Administration Act (Grain Act) and the Act on Distribution and Value Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Merchandise (Farm Security Act) through the time period of the twenty first Nationwide Meeting. The opposition occasion is of the place that by revising the legislation, it could kill two birds with one stone – stabilizing farm revenue and clean provide of agricultural merchandise – however the ruling occasion and specialists are involved about focus of sure merchandise and distortion of the agricultural market.
Within the case of the Grain Act modification, it isn’t essentially totally different from the prevailing modification for which President Yoon Seok-yeol exercised his proper to request reconsideration (veto) in 2022, and the aim of the modification to the Farm Security and Safety Act is comparable, so President Yoon is predicted to train his veto. From the opposition occasion’s perspective, there’s an evaluation that forcing the revision of the Grain Act and Farm Safety Act can win over public sentiment within the Honam area, the place there are various rice farmers, and that they’re a ‘flower occasion’ with nothing to lose even when the passage of the legislation fails as a consequence of President Yoon’s train of his veto.
Opposition occasion prone to push by means of amendments to Grain Act and Farm Safety Act
Within the ruling occasion, the opposition occasion ostensibly promotes ‘stability of farm revenue’ concerning the grain legislation modification, however the intention is to ‘make a dent’ so as to enhance the variety of occasions President Yoon workouts his veto and enhance antipathy in the direction of farmers by encouraging President Yoon to train his veto. Criticism was raised as as to if it exists. It’s because President Yoon, who has exercised his veto energy 9 occasions to date, will enhance his veto quantity to 11 if he workouts his veto on the Grain Act modification following the ‘Particular Prosecutor Chae Sang-byeong Act’ not too long ago handed by the Nationwide Meeting.
President Yoon exercised his first veto since taking workplace on the prevailing Grain Act modification in April 2022. It’s because “it’s a pressured buy of surplus rice legislation that requires the federal government to buy all extra rice on the expense of the general public’s tax cash, whatever the quantity of rice consumed available in the market.” Then, the Democratic Celebration proposed a brand new grain legislation modification based mostly on the introduction of a goal worth system as an alternative of easing the ‘obligatory buy’ regulation. The important thing to the modification to the Farm Safety Act is the introduction of an ‘agricultural product worth stabilization system’ through which the federal government pays the distinction to producers when the value of agricultural merchandise falls under the ‘customary worth’. As no settlement was reached on the Nationwide Meeting’s Agriculture, Meals, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee’s Agenda Coordination Committee, the opposition occasion, together with 11 Democratic Celebration members from the Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs Committee and unbiased Rep. Yoon Mi-hyang from the Democratic Celebration, instantly submitted the legislation modification invoice to the plenary session.
Within the political world, there are various predictions that the opposition occasion will push by means of the 2 legislation amendments on the plenary session on Could 28. The ruling and opposition events are operating parallel paths and confronting one another over the amendments to the Grain Act and Farm Safety Act. Democratic Celebration lawmaker Wie Gon, a member of the Agricultural and Marine Affairs Committee, mentioned at a press convention after instantly submitting the revised invoice to the plenary session on April 18, “The Yoon Seok-yeol authorities and the Individuals Energy Celebration shouldn’t simply oppose with out an alternate, however cross payments such because the Agricultural Value Stabilization Act on the plenary session inside the time period of the twenty first Nationwide Meeting.” He urged. Not like the earlier modification, which had a compulsory buy clause, this modification ensures the minimal worth, so the federal government has no justification for rejecting it. In response to this, Rep. Lee Dal-gon of the Individuals Energy Celebration, secretary of the ruling occasion on the Agricultural and Marine Affairs Committee, mentioned, “This modification to the Grain Act is the same legislation with solely barely totally different strategies and means from the modification that President Yoon exercised his veto final time.” He added, “Farmers’ votes play an enormous function and there are various rice farmers.” He claimed, “Opposition occasion members with constituencies in Honam are taking the lead and pushing for amendments to the Grain Act and Farm Safety Act that can distort the market.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs: “Rice buy and storage prices alone quantity to three trillion received per 12 months”
![An official is checking rice being stored after purchase at a rice processing plant in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. [뉴스1]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/05/18/124990665.2.jpg)
Relating to the Grain Act Modification Invoice at present referred to the plenary session, there are various evaluations that it is extremely just like the invoice that President Yoon exercised his veto of final 12 months. The earlier invoice states, “If the surplus manufacturing of rice is greater than 3-5% or the value of rice through the quick season (July-September) or the harvest season (October-December) proper earlier than new rice is produced falls by greater than 5-8% in comparison with the earlier 12 months, the federal government should present agricultural cooperatives. The important thing level was, “We have to get unions and so on to purchase it.” This modification is comparable in that the federal government “should set up and implement measures, reminiscent of buying extra manufacturing,” for rice, however stipulates the acquisition circumstances as “instances the place rice costs have plummeted or are feared to plummet.” In line with the modification to the Grain Act, the requirements for rice worth fluctuations and fluctuations are decided by means of deliberation by the Grain Provide and Demand Administration Committee. The thought is to set the usual worth for buying and promoting rice in a committee chaired by the Vice Minister of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs and through which stakeholders reminiscent of producer teams and distributor teams take part. The opposition occasion explains that the ‘obligatory rules’ have been relaxed in comparison with the earlier modification that mandated authorities buy based mostly on rice manufacturing or market worth. Nonetheless, some level out that it’s much less concrete than the prevailing invoice in that the premise for whether or not the federal government will buy it when the value of rice falls is ambiguous.
The framework of the Farm Safety Act is to introduce an ‘agricultural product worth stabilization system’ for sure objects reminiscent of grains, greens, and fruits. If the value of agricultural merchandise doesn’t meet the ‘customary worth’, the federal government will assist farmers with half or the entire distinction. The usual worth, which displays manufacturing prices and inflation charges, was deliberated and set by the ‘Agricultural Product Value Stability Deliberation Council.’ The opposition occasion argues that “the introduction of the agricultural product worth stabilization system can cut back dangers reminiscent of a lower in farm family revenue as a consequence of fast fluctuations in agricultural product costs.” Considerations are raised that this may occasionally result in a vicious cycle of overproduction and worth decline because of the focus of particular merchandise, which can result in conflicts between farms over whether or not or to not present assist.
The core rationale of these opposing the amendments to the Grain Act and Farm Security Act is that the 2 amendments could distort the agricultural market. Minister of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs Music Mi-ryeong mentioned in a current media interview, “If the grain legislation modification is handed, rice storage prices alone will enhance to greater than 500 billion received per 12 months, and the entire price together with buy prices will exceed 3 trillion received.” He added, “(The 2 amendments) perform as an autonomous market adjustment perform. He expressed his opposition, saying, “It will possibly distort the manufacturing construction by damaging the manufacturing construction, and it’s inevitable that there shall be an inclination to deal with objects with excessive customary costs or comfort in farming.”
As a consequence of adjustments in consuming habits, folks’s rice consumption continues to lower. Rice manufacturing can be reducing, however it’s unable to maintain up with the fast decline in consumption, resulting in overproduction yearly. Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs is encouraging a discount in rice manufacturing by means of the ‘Strategic Crop Direct Fee System’, which offers direct funds when crops with low home self-sufficiency are planted as an alternative of rice. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs believes that if the modification to the Grain Act is handed and the federal government successfully mandates the acquisition of overproduced rice, a big variety of farmers will return to rice farming. It’s because rice farming has a mechanization fee of over 99%, making it extremely handy to farm, and if the federal government compensates for inadequate revenue, there is no such thing as a incentive to develop different crops.
The large funds that shall be instantly spent on buying and storing rice can be an issue. The Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Affairs estimates that if the revised grain legislation is applied, rice buy prices alone will price 2.7 trillion received in 2030, and together with storage prices, greater than 3 trillion received shall be spent. If the restricted agricultural funds is concentrated on buying and storing overproduced rice, the monetary sources wanted to foster future agriculture will inevitably develop into inadequate.
Skilled: “Troublesome to safe future-oriented agricultural funds”
There are voices amongst specialists involved about negative effects. Kim Min-kyung, a professor of meals distribution engineering at Konkuk College, mentioned on the ‘Coverage Assembly for Stabilizing Provide and Demand of Agricultural Merchandise’ on Could 8, “If the amendments to the Grain Act and Farm Safety Act are applied, it’s anticipated that there shall be a considerable amount of funds spent on buying rice and stabilizing costs yearly.” He identified, “The large monetary funding ensuing from the obligatory isolation of the rice market is prone to result in a discount within the funds for different objects, reminiscent of livestock farming.” Jang Pan-sik, a professor on the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Seoul Nationwide College, mentioned, “Sooner or later, intensive funding is required in fostering younger farmers and sensible agriculture, however the two amendments could enhance difficulties in securing funds for future-oriented agriculture.”
Reporter Kim Woo-jeong good [email protected]
2024-05-19 00:12:08