Government, distributors “Plan to offer up to 50% discount on Chuseok products”

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister Song Mei-ryeong, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) held a “Meeting to Review the Status of Measures to Stabilize Supply and Demand for Chuseok Seasoned Goods” on Monday, September 2, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs conference room in Building 5 of the Sejong Government Complex, presided over by Park Soo-jin, Director of the Food Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

This meeting was arranged to inspect the progress of measures to stabilize the supply and demand of Chuseok seasonal products, including ① the largest-ever supply of seasonal products (153,000 tons, 1.6 times the normal level) announced on August 28, ② expansion of discount support for agricultural and livestock products, ③ provision of price and purchase information for Chuseok seasonal products, and ④ crackdown on illegal distribution and hygiene inspections, and to hear opinions from the field.

As a result of the meeting, the prices of apples and pears are showing signs of stabilization as shipments of Hongro and Shingo, which are the main varieties for Chuseok, begin in earnest, and the burden on consumers has decreased due to the discount support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the distributors’ own discounts.

Cabbage and radish shipments are increasing in Gangneung and Pyeongchang, the main producing areas of highland cabbage. Although harvesting has been somewhat delayed due to rain, growth is expected to improve with the relief from drought, so shipments are expected to increase in the future.

Spinach, which grew poorly due to the heat wave in August, is expected to maintain high prices for the time being, but shipments are expected to increase after Chuseok as temperatures drop. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to encourage consumption of alternative products by providing discounts on cabbage, turnips, and chives, which have short growing periods and recover quickly in quantity.

In the case of livestock products, beef and pork are in steady supply, and egg productivity, which has declined somewhat due to the heat wave, is expected to recover as temperatures drop, and supply is expected to increase in the week before Chuseok (September 9 to 14) when demand is concentrated.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs holds a “Chuseok seasonal produce supply and demand situation inspection meeting” every day to discuss response measures to changes in the supply and demand situation, such as price fluctuations and changes in growing conditions, and operates a system that can respond immediately.

In addition to the government’s discount support, we provide agricultural and livestock products at a discount of up to 50% through distributors’ own discounts and producer groups such as self-help groups, and we also provide gift sets for the people’s livelihood, centered on items with surplus supply such as Korean beef and rice, at low prices. In particular, among the government’s discount support, we plan to expand the proportion of on-site refund events to over 80% for the elderly and others who are not familiar with using mobile devices (September 9 to 15, 120 markets).

Director Park stated, “As the Chuseok holiday approaches and weather conditions improve, the supply and demand of Chuseok seasonal products are expected to become more stable.” He also asked, “Related organizations should widely inform consumers of the supply and demand outlook for seasonal products and proactively respond when any items with supply and demand imbalances arise to do their best to stabilize the supply and demand of Chuseok seasonal products.”

Editor. Hong Se-yeong