▲ Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung delivers a work report during a parliamentary audit by the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee at the National Assembly on the 7th. (Photo: Yonhap News)
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung stated today (the 7th) that "discussions on joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will be re-examined from scratch."
Making the remarks during her opening statement at the parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) by the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, Minister Song emphasized, "We will ensure that the sensitivity of the agricultural sector and the necessity of sufficient supplementary measures are discussed together in that process."
According to the recently released government results on the "economic impact analysis of CPTPP accession," joining the CPTPP is projected to increase real gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.38 percentage points 10 years after the agreement takes effect and boost manufacturing output by an annual average of up to 6.7 trillion won over the next 15 years. However, market opening is projected to cause an inevitable drop in production of approximately 850 billion won annually in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors.
A day earlier, President Lee Jae-myung instructed during a Cabinet meeting to "talk it over again from scratch without setting conclusions in advance and rushing," leading the "Emergency Countermeasures Committee to Stop CPTPP Accession"—comprising 75 organizations from the agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and forestry sectors—to temporarily put on hold a rally originally scheduled to be held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on the 15th.
In response to a question from Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Gae-ho asking whether "re-examining from scratch means the option of not joining is also included," Minister Song replied, "Nothing has been decided," adding, "I understand it to mean that a decision will be made in accordance with the national interest and the public will."
When lawmaker Lee then asked, "Japan maintained its tariff elimination rate on agricultural products at around 76 percent; can we expect to be asked for the CPTPP member average of around 96 percent?" Minister Song answered, "They will likely demand the highest level of liberalization."
Furthermore, when lawmaker Lee remarked, "Rice and beef are the most sensitive items. In particular, when we announced the tariffication of rice in 2014, we made a national declaration that we would not engage in any additional concession (a country's promise in trade negotiations to lower or eliminate tariffs and open its market) negotiations going forward," Minister Song expressed her view, saying, "I believe rice is a truly ultra-sensitive item for us. Therefore, our stance is that it must be protected as a top priority."
Regarding the nationwide comprehensive farmland survey and institutional reform, Minister Song emphasized, "The purpose of this survey is to accurately grasp the ownership and usage status of farmland nationwide, thereby reforming the 30-year-old farmland system to fit the changed rural environment, such as an aging population."
She reaffirmed the government's stance that general and conventional violations will not be subject to disciplinary disposal, but instead institutional improvements and legalization will be pursued, while illegal use of speculative farmland will face disposal orders after going through an explanation procedure.
At the same time, she stressed, "We will ensure that this survey does not impose a burden on farmers, but rather serves as an opportunity to reorganize unreasonable systems to fit reality and allow farmers to focus on farming with peace of mind."
In addition, regarding National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup) reform, she stated, "We will also prepare follow-up reform plans to increase the actual benefits for farmers and cooperative members, such as revitalizing economic business and strengthening cooperative competitiveness."
Regarding measures to stabilize rice supply and demand during the harvest season, Minister Song said, "The price of rice during the lean season (the price of leftover rice before new rice is harvested) stands at 28,419 won per 10 kilograms, which is higher than previous years and normal years," and added, "Based on the expected production volume announcement on October 8, we will closely consult with producer organizations and others to formulate supply and demand measures, and carefully manage the situation so that the supply and demand of rice during the harvest season remains stable."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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