Gong Byeong-seonreporter
Oh Ji-eunreporter
Youngchan Choireporter
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Grain Management Act passed at plenary session with 173 votes in favor
President Yoon Seok-yeol expected to veto four agricultural laws
The ‘Four Agricultural Laws’, including the partial revision of the Grain Management Act (Grain Management Act), which requires the government to purchase rice when the price plummets, passed the plenary session of the National Assembly led by the opposition party. The ruling party objected, saying it would require a huge budget.
A partial amendment to the Grain Management Act is being passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 28th. Yonhap News
The National Assembly held a plenary session on the 28th and voted on the Grain Management Act, passing it with 254 present, 173 in favor, 80 against, and 1 abstention. The ruling party voted against it, but the bills were passed under the leadership of the opposition party. The partial amendment bill to the Act on Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Products (Agricultural and Fishery Product Price Stabilization Act) had 253 members present, 166 in favor, 85 against, and 2 abstentions, and the partial revision bill to the Agricultural and Fishery Accident Insurance Act (Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Protection Act) had 239 members present and in favor. 175 people, 84 against, Agriculture and Fisheries Disaster Countermeasures Act The partial amendment bill (Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Countermeasures Act) was passed with 262 people present, 175 in favor, and 87 against.
The amendment to the Grain Management Act includes provisions for the government to make mandatory purchases when rice prices plummet or when rice is overproduced. The Agricultural Product Price Stabilization Act introduces a minimum price guarantee system for agricultural products, the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Insurance Act excludes the application of natural disaster damage surcharges when calculating insurance premium rates, and the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Countermeasures Act aims to guarantee production costs invested before disasters.
The Democratic Party of Korea’s position is that bills are needed to save farms. Jin Seong-jun, chairman of the Democratic Party’s policy committee, said at a press conference at the National Assembly the previous day, “The 4 laws to save agriculture are a natural consequence and alternative to the Yoon administration’s broken promises and failed agricultural administration,” and added, “It is a fundamental measure to help farmers farm without worrying about prices and disasters.” “We will definitely prepare it,” he said.
The government and ruling party are opposing the Grain Management Act. This is because it places a burden on the national budget. Ahead of the vote, People Power Party lawmaker Kim Sun-kyo said, “Rice consumption is decreasing and rice is overproduced, so how long will we have to spend trillions of won every year to preserve the price of rice?” He added, “The bigger problem is that even if an astronomical budget is invested, what will happen to the farmers themselves?” “There is no real benefit to it,” he said.
President Yoon Seok-yeol is expected to exercise his veto on the Grain Management Act again, as he did in March of last year. Song Mi-ryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, announced at an emergency press conference on the 25th that she would recommend President Yoon exercise his veto power over the four agricultural laws. The People Power Party established its opposition to the Grain Management Act as its party line and began voting. Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, met with reporters after a closed general meeting of lawmakers that day and said, “This is an agenda that was brought up to the plenary session as a result of the opposition party’s unilateral push.”
Reporter Gong Byeong-seon [email protected]
Reporter Oh Ji-eun [email protected]
Reporter Choi Young-chan [email protected]
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