Picture of the Day: Rice Protest
Participants call for the government to stop rice imports during a rally of female farmers from across the nation in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 23, 2017. (Yonhap)
Participants call for the government to stop rice imports during a rally of female farmers from across the nation in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 23, 2017. (Yonhap)
Wait, for the government to stop rice imports? So does some wing of the RoK gov. import rice and then resell it? Or are they asking for an all out ban on importing rice? Why would average joe Korean support this? It would only lead to increased rice prices.
Rice prices in Korea are already high, about twice as high than they are in North America, last time I looked, and the reason, I was told, is government subsidization of the rice farmers. Of course they want to stop imports; imports will undercut their prices. I sympathize with them in a way, but I don’t see any particular reason why South Korean consumers should be held up to ransom.
Does Korea grow enough rice to satify the domestic markets? Also, from an economy of scales perspective: Rice farms in the States are so big they seed by airplane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-91RoZZ6Enk Going to be hard to compete with that.
Everything you want to know about Korean farm production: https://kr.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/75/2016/06/Grain-and-Feed-Annual_Seoul_Korea-Republic-of_3-31-2015.pdf