FAS/Seoul Monitoring of Media Reporting on Agricultural Issues 

Today's Date: Friday,  April 18,  2025

For Coverage:  April  11  ~  18,  2025

Apple prices surge 71% due to wildfires
https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25329421
Summary:  Apple prices are rising as wildfires in the North Gyeongsang region have damaged apple orchards. As of mid-April, the average wholesale price of apples nationwide was 6,912 won per kilogram, up 71% compared to the average year.

The proportion of people aged 65 and older in rural areas has surpassed 55%... Even selling 65% of agricultural products, they are unable to earn 10 million won.
https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20250417/131435973/1
Summary:  The proportion of elderly people aged 65 and older in rural populations has surpassed 55% for the first time.  Among farm households, 4 out of 10 people are over 70, indicating that the aging of rural areas is accelerating.  According to the '2024 Agricultural, Forestry, and Fisheries Survey Results' released by Statistics Korea on the 17th, the total population of farming households as of December 1st last year was 2,004,000, which marks a 4.1% (85,000 people) decrease. 

Why is European beef from Ireland so special?
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112849
Summary:  The Irish Food Board (Bord Bia) held a seminar titled “European Beef, Beef from the Nature of Ireland” in Seoul on the 16th.  At the seminar, the board highlighted that the reasons why Irish European beef is special lie in animal welfare, sustainable breeding methods, and international traceability system of the highest standard.  The Irish Ambassador to Korea, Michelle Winthrop, said that it took 14 years for Irish European beef to gain access to the Korean market, and expressed confidence that Europe’s stringent food safety standards would meet the high standards of the Korean beef industry and consumers.  The seminar was attended by representatives from the domestic food and meat industry.

The dilemma of importing Brazilian chicks and eggs. 
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250414500825
Summary:  The government is set to import Brazilian chicks, hatching eggs, and table eggs into the country.  Chicks refer to newly hatched baby chickens, while hatching eggs are eggs meant for incubation.  Table eggs are fresh eggs for consumption.  With the entry of new poultry products from Brazil, the world's largest exporter of chicken meat, producer organizations are caught in a dilemma, unsure of how to respond.

RDA promotes Korean agriculture diplomacy with developing nations
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/companies/20250415/rda-promotes-korean-agriculture-diplomacy-with-developing-nations
Summary:  The Rural Development Administration (RDA) of Korea is intensifying its global efforts to combat food insecurity through official development assistance (ODA), international research collaboration, and the export of Korean agricultural technology tailored to the needs of developing countries. Operating in over 20 countries via KOPIA centers, the RDA has seen notable success with initiatives like orange farming in Uganda, hydroponic potato cultivation in Pakistan, and rice production programs across Africa. The agency is also expanding digital and climate-resilient farming projects and forming new partnerships worldwide, including with Caribbean nations, while supporting Korean agricultural machinery exports to global markets.

Korea’s growth rate forecast at 1.6% for 2025 - Another global agency projects growth in the 1% range
https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20250415/131421587/2
Summary:  Another international organization, AMRO, has forecast Korea’s economic growth for 2025 at 1.6%, placing it among the lowest in the region after Myanmar and Japan. The report warns that rising global uncertainties—including U.S. protectionism, tightening financial conditions, and volatile commodity prices—could further slow Korea’s growth. Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea also pointed to persistent downside risks, with political uncertainty remaining high following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, raising concerns that Korea’s growth this year could even dip below 1%.

Three additional cases of FMD at a pig farm in Muan
https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20250415038100054?section=industry/agriculture
Summary:  Three additional cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have been reported at a pig farm in Muan, South Jeolla Province.  This farm is located within the quarantine zone of the farm where FMD was previously found, and South Jeolla Province has dispatched a quarantine team to control and disinfect the farm, while also sending a field investigation team to determine its cause.  In South Jeolla Province, 19 cases of FMD have been confirmed since the first case was detected on a Hanwoo farm on March 13th, including 13 cases in Yeongam and 6 cases in Muan.

Imported rice supplied to processing companies at half the cost… “Will drive down prices of domestic rice”
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250411500764
Summary:  The government has supplied imported rice under the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) system for processing purposes at a discounted price, lower than the import cost, to the market for the 2023–2024 period.  According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, the state-run trade system imports TRQ rice, with the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) acting as the intermediary.  A recent report by the Nonghyup Future Strategy Institute titled "Current Distribution Status and Implications of TRQ Rice Imports" indicated that aT supplied medium- and short-grain rice (from the U.S., Australia, and China) at a special price of 591 KRW per kilogram to food processing companies during the 2023–2024 period.

Concerns over the solidification of the 'golden apple' perception after the wildfire... Premature to make conclusions on supply and demand
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250411500687
Summary:  Gyeongbuk is the largest fruit-producing region in the country. In particular, apple production accounted for 62.2% of the nation's total last year.  This has drawn attention to the potential impact of the large wildfire in Yeongnam, which occurred in March, on both the short- and long-term apple industry.  According to Gyeongbuk Province, as of the 10th, 3,401 hectares of apple orchards have been affected by the wildfire.

23,000 tons of domestic wheat to be stockpiled this year
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250411500769
Summary:  The Korean government will purchase 23,000 tons of domestic wheat for public stockpiling in 2025, an 8% decrease from the previous year due to reduced cultivation area and budget constraints. While the overall procurement price remains similar to last year, payment rates vary by wheat type to encourage production of bread wheat, which is in higher demand by food companies. To better align supply with demand, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to continue adjusting procurement prices by wheat variety and use.

Government to significantly lower tariff rates on processed pork and eggs starting from the 1st of next month.
https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20250411/131395891/1
Summary:  The government has decided to significantly reduce tariff rates on 10,000 tons of raw pork and 4,000 tons of processed egg products starting from the 1st of next month, in order to stabilize the prices of essential food items directly impacting people's livelihoods.  On the 11th, Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance Kim Beom-seok chaired the 33rd Price-Related Vice Ministers' Meeting held at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where he announced the emergency tariff rate reduction plan.  An emergency tariff is a system that drastically lowers or even eliminates tariffs on specific items for a certain period to encourage imports, in cases where there is an imbalance in supply and demand or a sharp price increase, leading to unstable prices for those goods.

Vice Prime Minister Choi: Smart orchards key to building stable production base
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250409500667
Summary:  South Korean government officials visited a smart apple orchard in Yesan, Chungnam, equipped with disaster-prevention and automated irrigation systems, to inspect apple blossom conditions amid climate change concerns. Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok announced plans to establish 60 specialized smart orchard zones by 2030 and expand protective infrastructure to ensure stable fruit production. As abnormal weather raises concerns about supply instability, especially following recent wildfires in key apple-producing regions, the government will assess potential impacts and continue promoting climate-resilient orchard systems.