FAS/Seoul Monitoring of Media Reporting on Agricultural Issues 

Today's Date: Friday,  May 2,  2025

For Coverage:  April  25  ~  May 2,  2025

 

Australian Beef Gains Ground as U.S. Imports Slow Down

https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250430500771

As U.S. beef imports to Korea decline due to reduced production and higher prices, Australia is rapidly gaining market share, increasing its beef export share from 35% in 2022 to 45% in 2024.  Australia is also actively promoting its beef with marketing campaigns featuring celebrity chefs and is expanding exports of goat meat, which has seen steady growth and now positions Korea as its second-largest market.  Experts urge Korea’s domestic beef sector to respond strategically by enhancing genetic quality and emphasizing the premium value of Hanwoo to remain competitive.

 

13.8 Trillion Won Supplementary Budget Passed by National Assembly – 25.5 Billion Won Allocated for Inorganic Fertilizer Support

https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250501500103

The National Assembly passed a 13.8 trillion won supplementary budget, which includes an additional 97.9 billion won for the agricultural sector.  This funding covers 25.5 billion won for inorganic fertilizer subsidies to ease farming input costs, 2.4 billion won for purchasing rental farming machinery for wildfire-affected farmers, and 5.9 billion won for facilities to grow alternative crops like pine mushrooms.  Additionally, the budget for agricultural and livestock product discount programs was raised to 120 billion won to help stabilize supply amid climate-related uncertainties.

 

NongHyup Supports Pear Farmers in Overcoming Cold Damage

https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250430500735

NongHyup Chairman Kang Ho-dong visited pear orchards in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, on April 30 to assess severe cold damage caused by unseasonal freezing temperatures in late March, which destroyed up to 90% of buds.  During a meeting with local farmers and NongHyup staff, growers expressed concerns over poor fruit set, income loss, and limited insurance coverage, as only about 30% of farms were enrolled in spring frost policies.  In response, NongHyup pledged support through interest-free disaster relief loans and called for government action, including designating disaster zones and supporting long-term measures against climate-induced crop damage.

 

0% of quota tariffs will be applied to pork and egg processed products starting in May

http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=113069

The Korean government announced on April 30 that it will apply a 0% quota tariff on pork (raw ingredient for processed foods) and egg processed products from May 1 to December 31 this year in order to stabilize prices.  According to this revision, a 0% quota tariff will be applied to 10,000 tons of pork and 4,000 tons of egg processed products during the above period.

 

Government to supply 5,040 tons of its stockpiled fishery products during the close season from May to June

http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=113051

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to supply 5,040 tons of fishery products, stockpiled by the government, to the market by June in preparation for the close/spawning season (May-June), when fishery supply generally decreases.  The quantities by species include 3,400 tons of pollock, 600 tons of squid and 500 tons of mackerel, targeting popular seasonal fishery products.  The government’s stockpiles will be released through various distribution channels including supermarkets, traditional markets and processing companies.

 

Expanding Smart Farm Crop Varieties to Stabilize Agricultural Supply

https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20250429/131510359/2

Lotte Mart and Lotte Super are expanding their sales of smart farm produce to address agricultural supply instability caused by climate change, aiming to double volume and offer over 50 crop varieties.  Smart farming, which uses ICT to manage growing environments, enables consistent quality and year-round supply, with new items such as root-intact herbs and tomatoes accounting for over half of tomato sales.  Sales of smart farm produce have steadily grown since 2021, with notable increases such as a threefold rise in strawberry sales this season compared to the same period last year.

 

Gaps remain in the domestic distribution and management of LMO crops.

https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250428500829

According to a recent report by the National Institute of Ecology, 193 genetically modified organism (LMO) crops were detected in Korea’s natural ecosystems in 2024—a 56.9% increase from the previous year.  The majority were canola plants likely spilled during transportation, highlighting vulnerabilities in Korea’s LMO distribution and monitoring systems.  As the U.S. pressures Korea to ease LMO regulations and new LMO crop imports are considered, civic groups are calling for stronger safeguards to protect local ecosystems and food safety.

  

By-products from vegetables and fruits to be recycled into feed for pigs and cattle

https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20250429061300530?section=industry/agriculture

A special regulation has been granted to allow leftover food waste after trimming vegetables and fruits to be recycled into feed.  This is one of three special regulations for a circular economy granted by the Ministry of Environment on April 29^th, aimed at recycling agricultural food by-products into feed for livestock.  Although these by-products have significant value as feed, they are currently discarded as food waste under existing laws.  The agricultural food by-products generated at facilities granted this special regulation are estimated to reach approximately 12,730 tons annually, and recycling these by-products are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,426 tons.

 

Surge in Agricultural Imports Due to Excessive Use of Tariff Rate Quotas

https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250425500730

Fresh produce imports in Korea surged over 10% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to last year, driven by the government's aggressive use of tariff rate quotas (TRQs) to control food prices.  Critics argue that this undermines the high tariffs originally set to protect sensitive domestic crops like onions, cabbage, and radish, and could destabilize local agriculture in the long term.  Experts warn that frequent TRQ expansions weaken farmers' production incentives, harm supply stability, and call for clearer standards and greater involvement of the agricultural sector in policymaking.

 

Domestic Agricultural Products Gain Edge as Ingredients for U.S. Exports

https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250425500697

Experts advise that using 100% Korean-origin ingredients, rather than Chinese ones, when exporting agricultural food products like kimchi, tteokbokki, and gochujang to the U.S. can help avoid extremely high retaliatory tariffs of around 180%.  At a seminar hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture and aT, it was emphasized that even if products are made in Korea, if they fail the U.S.'s "substantial transformation" test, they could still be classified as Chinese-origin and heavily taxed.  Officials urged exporters to carefully check U.S. tariff codes, meet origin criteria, and monitor changing trade policies to avoid export disruptions.

 

Lee Jae-myung “Agricultural disaster compensation, expansion of direct payments, promotion of the rice policy act”

https://www.hankyung.com/article/202504254925i

Lee Jae-myung, a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea, announced agricultural-related pledges on his social media on the 25th.  He stated that he would push forward with five policies: agricultural disaster compensation, smart farming, a retirement pension system for farmers, an increased share of direct payments in agricultural policy budgets, and the revision of the rice management law.  The core idea behind these policies is to expand government finances and provide more support to farmers.