FAS/Seoul Monitoring of Media Reporting on Agricultural Issues 

Today's Date: Friday,  March  7,  2025

For Coverage:  February  28  ~  March 7, 2025

Livestock quarantine responsibility shifting from government to local and private sectors
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250305500800
Summary:  The South Korean government announced a plan to shift the responsibility for livestock disease prevention from the central government to local governments and private entities, allowing for more flexible and region-specific disease control measures.  While the livestock industry largely welcomes the move to reduce regulatory burdens and social costs, concerns remain about potential gaps in disease prevention that could lead to outbreaks.  Critics argue that the plan may introduce a de facto grading system for farms, which could disproportionately impact small farmers, and emphasize the need for stricter vaccination oversight to ensure the success of the autonomous disease prevention system.

Fruit prices stabilize due to the reduction in import tariffs
https://www.hankyung.com/article/2025030549311
Summary:  The government has lowered the import tariff rate on fruits by 30% points, leading to stabilization in fruit prices.  According to the price prediction system Teran, which calculates the Agricultural Product Price Index (KAPI), the wholesale price of cherries as of the 5^th was 12,728 KRW per kg, a 25.5% decrease compared to the same month last year.  The price of pineapples fell by 19.3%, to 2,169 KRW per piece, and bananas also became 10.1% cheaper, priced at 2,179 KRW per kg.

The cultivated land area is barely meeting the minimum threshold for food security
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250228500883
Summary:  Last year, the cultivated land area barely maintained over 1.5 million hectares, just meeting the minimum size deemed necessary by the government to ensure food security.  With the acceleration of agricultural land regulation relaxation policies, the area of land used for farming is expected to continue shrinking.  According to the ‘2024 Cultivated Land Area Survey’ released by Statics Korea on February27, the cultivated land area last year was recorded at 1.505 million hectares.

The aT Center to develop climate-resistant crop varieties in 2025
https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20250305118700030?section=industry/agriculture
Summary:  The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) has decided to develop new varieties of agricultural products that are highly resistant to climate changes and expand K-food exports to the Middle East and Latin America this year in order to create a sustainable future for the agriculture, fisheries, and livestock industries.  In case the U.S. tariffs on exports are an obstacle later, the aT will also consider special support measures such as promotional activities and logistics support for the export to the United States.

Korean beef from 24-month short-term Korean feeder cattle on sale as a trial
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112197
Summary:  The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) plans to stabilize Korean cattle farm management and secure price competitiveness with imported beef through Korean beef (Hanwoo) from short-term fattening cattle, which has improved the existing method of breeding.  The domestic beef industry has been facing increased operating costs and environmental issues such as livestock excretions due to a long-term fattening period of more than 30 months.  MAFRA said that it expects the efforts to be a turning point for consumers to easily eat affordable Hanwoo, and that Hanwoo from 24-month short-term Korean feeder cattle will be sold experimentally at a Hanaro Mart in Seoul until May.

The Ministry of Food And Drug Safety announces implementation of PLS for minor livestock species in April next year
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250228500925
Summary:  Starting as early as April next year, the Positive List System (PLS) for residual substances will be expanded to include minor livestock species such as ducks, deer, honey, and goats.  The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced plans to administratively notify the changes in December, followed by a 60-day public opinion period, WTO notification, and final approval, which will likely result in implementation by April.  However, some producer groups have expressed concerns, citing a lack of detailed plans and the potential difficulties in meeting new residue analysis requirements within the given timeframe.

The expansion of tariff quotas has the agricultural sector in an uproar… The government is conducting a detailed assessment
https://www.hankyung.com/article/202503039401i
Summary:  The government has begun a detailed analysis of the impact of tariff quotas on the domestic agricultural sector.  This move comes after the expansion of tariff quotas last year to stabilize rising agricultural product prices, which sparked backlash from the domestic farming community.  The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs plans to analyze price changes before and after the application of tariff quotas and the low-rate tariff (TRQ) system, as well as changes in production and supply-demand fluctuations for each item.

RDA provides guidelines on safe use of pesticides for agricultural products for export via QR codes
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112168
Summary:  The Korea’s Rural Development Administration (RDA) will provide the guidelines on safe use of agricultural pesticides via QR codes so that accurate information on safe use of pesticides in the production process of agricultural products for export can be easily accessed, as each country has different standards for pesticide residues.  Compared to the method previously provided through booklets or RDA’s agricultural technology portal, Nongsaro, the QR code service simplifies the access path and quickly delivers the latest export information, also allowing users to check the latest customs violations and regulation trends in major export destinations.

Extreme weather has become the norm, yet preemptive policies to prevent agricultural disasters are insufficient
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250228500888
Summary:  A call for proactive national-level responses to overcome the increasingly common extreme weather has been raised.  On February 28, the Nonghyup Future Strategy Research Institute held the future Nonghyup Forum at the Nonghyup Central Association, discussing measures for agricultural disaster response due to climate change.  During the forum, several cases were presented, highlighting the severity of agricultural damage caused by extreme weather.

MFDS strengthens the management of overseas direct purchase foods containing narcotics
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112133
Summary:  The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced that the amendments to 5 relevant laws under the jurisdiction of MFDS, including the Special Act on Safety Control of Imported Food and the Food Labeling and Advertising Act, passed the National Assembly on February 27^th.  With this, MFDS expects to be able to directly purchase and inspect overseas direct purchases of food that may contain narcotic ingredients and disclose related information and effectively protect consumers from illegal and unfair labeling and advertising.  MFDS also said that it will continue to improve relevant laws and regulations to ensure the public safety and security in the food and drug sector.