FAS/Seoul Monitoring of Media Reporting on Agricultural Issues 

Today's Date: Friday, August 9,  2024

For Coverage:  August  2 ~ 8, 2024

853 Cases of Non-conformity with Korean Exported Food for the Past 3 Years 
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109333
Summary:  According to a report released by the Korea National Food Safety Information Service (NFSI), there were a total of 853 cases of non-conforming Korean exported food between 2021 and 2023 (287 cases in 2021, 244 cases in 2022, and 322 cases in 2023), which were announced by five major countries: the United States, China, Japan, Taiwan, and EU.  For the same period (2021-2023), 391 cases of non-conformity were reported in the United States, accounting for the largest portion of 45.8%, followed by China (238 cases, 27.9%), Japan (113 cases, 13.2%), Taiwan (68 cases, 8%) and EU (43 cases, 5%).  By reasons of non-conformity, 460 violations of labeling standards (37.2%) were reported, followed by microbes (183 cases, 14.8%), food additives (140 cases, 11.3%), and pesticide residue (13 cases, 10.8%).  NFSI director Lee said that it is necessary to thoroughly check the relevant laws, standards and specifications of partner countries to make efforts to manufacture accordingly and comply with labeling standards when exporting food.

Exports of Agricultural Foods Amounted to $5.67 Billion as of July This Year 
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109288
Summary:  According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), agricultural food exports amounted to $5.67 billion as of July this year, a 9.2% increase from $4.78 billion the same period last year.  By major items, ramen exports reached approximately $700 million, up 34% from the same period last year.  Rice processed foods such as instant rice and frozen gimbap showed a high growth rate of 45.7% in exports, accounting for $165 million due to continued interest in the Korean Wave, vegan, and healthy diets.  By export markets, exports are on the rise in most countries.  In particular, exports to Europe showed the highest growth rate of 33.3% ($407 million) among major markets based on the popularity of K-Culture and Korean government’s efforts to diversify export products and resolve current ramen safety issues in Europe, while exports to the United States amounted to $886.2 million, a 23% increase from $721 million the same period last year.

Prices of International Oil, Meat and Sugar Increase, While Grain and Dairy Products Decrease 
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109262
Summary:  According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the world food price index in July was 120.8 points, down 0.2% from 121.0 points the previous month.  By item groups, oil, meat and sugar prices increased while the prices of grain and dairy products decreased.  The oil price index was 135.0 points, up 2.4% from 131.8 points the previous month.  The meat index was 119.5 points, up 1.25 from 118.0 points and the sugar price index was 120.2 points, up 0.7% from 119.4 points the previous month.  On the other hand, the price indexes for grain and dairy products were 110.8 points, down 3.8% from 115.2 points, and 127.7 points, down 0.1% from 127.9 points the previous month, respectively.  The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) said that they are applying tariff quotas to raw materials of food products, including raw sugar, sugar and sunflower seed oil, to ease the financial burden on food companies and stabilize consumer prices due to rising international prices of some materials.  In addition, MAFRA added that major hypermarkets are offering discount events to stabilize the price of pork, which is the sought-after item during the summer holiday season, and on-site technical support is also being provided to minimize heat wave damage to pig and chicken farms.

Korea’s Agriculture Ministry… “216,000 Livestock Deaths Were Reported” 
https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20240802049700030?section=industry/agriculture
Summary:  The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced on August 2^nd that 216 thousand livestock, including 199 thousand chickens and 15 thousand pigs, died due to the heat wave in Korea as of July 31^st last month.  An MAFRA official said that although the dead chickens and pigs had a very marginal influence on supply and demand, they decided to strengthen on-site technical support and increase support for related facilities and equipment, such as shading devices, ventilation fans, and sprinklers, to prevent possible heat wave damage.

Fire Blight Disease Downgraded from ‘Alert’ to ‘Caution’ 
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20240801500558
Summary:  According to the Rural Development Administration (RDA) on August 1, it downgraded the crisis level of fire blight disease from ‘alert’ to ‘caution’.  The RDA said that fire blight disease occurred in 69.9 hectares of 137 Korean farms nationwide as of July 31 this year.  The number of affected farms and the size of affected areas accounted for 62 percent and 71 percent each, compared to the figures for the same period last year.  An official from the RDA said that a favorable environment for the spread of the disease, including above-average temperatures and frequent rain, was created between the end of last year and May this year, but the number of diseases could be reduced due to the active participation of farmers in preventive activities and prompt on-site response from related organizations. 
(* Fire blight disease is a common and very destructive bacterial disease of apples and pears, which is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora.  On apples and pears, the disease can kill blossoms, fruit, shoots, twigs, branches, and entire trees.)

Young Koreans Say ‘No’ to YOLO, ‘Yes’ to YONO 
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/biz/2024/08/488_379775.html
Summary:  Over the past decade, the dominant trend in Korea has been the “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) lifestyle, where people prioritize immediate happiness over investing in an uncertain future due to the rise in single-person households.  However, these consumer culture has come to an end, creating a new lifestyle of “YONO” (You Only Need One), which refers to a consumption pattern that involves reducing unnecessary spending.  For this reason, according to the credit card transaction data from NH NongHyup Bank, the number of dining-out transactions for young people in their 20s and 30s decreased by 9% in the first half of this year over the same period last year, while consumption of convenience store foods increased by 21%, due to high inflation and low-income growth rates.  Instead, young people do not hesitate to spend on hobby-related experiences such as sports or overseas travel.