April 25, 2006

South Korea works towards grain self sufficiency

South Korea's agriculture advisory committee called for the government on Sunday (Apr 23) to maintain a grain self-sufficiency level of at least 54 per cent to ensure the country has a stable supply and food security.

The committee on food self-sufficiency, chaired by Kyungpook National University professor Kim Chung-sil, made the recommendation, stressing that consumers, farmers and bureaucrats should work together to reach the level.

The self-sufficiency level, which was at 94.5 percent in 1975, has fallen significantly over the past decades as the country has come to import almost nearly all its wheat and grains other than rice, from abroad.

According to the committee, Seoul can allow the self-sufficiency level for barley, wheat, oats to fall to 4 percent.

The recommendations also put the self-sufficiency levels for seafood at 58 per cent.

It said the country should try to maintain a hold on 73 per cent of the meat market.

The committee said self-sufficiency in beef supply should be held at 46 per cent, while that for pork and chicken could stand at 81 per cent and 90 per cent each in 2015.

Seoul is currently moving to formulate long-term national agricultural as demand grows following the impact of market liberalization.

The target suggested by the committee is on par with levels reached in the 2003-2004 period and takes into account the signing of the World Trade Organization's Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and free trade agreements (FTA) since.