Sejong Special Self-Governing City (Mayor Cho Sang-ho) announced on the 15th that it has achieved the nation's highest growth rates in public reserve rice allocations and strategic crop direct payment areas for supply-adjustment rice, in line with the government's stance on appropriate rice production, resulting in an increase of 800 million won in related national subsidies.

The government is pursuing a proper rice production policy to resolve oversupply caused by declining rice consumption while stabilizing rice prices and farm household incomes.

Accordingly, starting last March, the city decided to intensively expand supply-adjustment rice—a new item under the strategic crop direct payment system—tailored to the realities on the ground where aging farmers and high mechanization rates make them hesitant to switch to other crops.

The strategic crop direct payment system is a national policy project implemented to reduce table rice cultivation areas and expand paddy field cultivation of alternative crops. Supply-adjustment rice is ordinarily supplied for processing to control the supply of table rice, and is converted into table rice during periods of supply shortages to ensure stable rice supply and demand.

First, the city established an independent plan to allocate an additional 150 sacks of public reserve rice per hectare to encourage voluntary participation by farmers.

Based on this, the city actively petitioned the government to prepare additional incentives, securing an additional 61 sacks per hectare. Combined with the city's self-planned volume, a total of 120 sacks per hectare in allocated volume was secured.

Through this, the area for supply-adjustment rice under the strategic crop direct payment in Sejong City increased by approximately 120 hectares, and the strategic crop direct payment budget—funded entirely by national subsidies—surged by approximately 279%, rising from 290 million won to 1.1 billion won.

In addition, as a result of implementing a policy that links and preferentially allocates government purchase volumes to farmers participating in proper rice production, the public reserve rice allocation surged by 76%, increasing from 1,990 tons last year to 3,497 tons this year, recording the highest growth rate in the nation.

Kim Hoe-san, Director-General of the Urban-Rural Symbiosis Bureau, stated, "Through support reflecting the voices of the agricultural field and preemptive responses, we secured additional national subsidies and contributed to supplementing farm household income," adding, "Moving forward, we will continue to implement field-oriented agricultural administration to stabilize rice prices and enhance farmers' satisfaction."

Meanwhile, the price of government-purchased public reserve rice last year reached an all-time high of 80,160 won per 40 kilograms for Grade 1, and this year's price is scheduled to be announced at the end of December.

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