Gyeonggi Rice: 100 Million Won Compensation Upon Discovery of Harmful Substances

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 7th that it has formulated a comprehensive quality enhancement plan for Gyeonggi rice, including offering 100 million won in compensation if harmful substances are found in Gyeonggi rice launched from next year.

First, the province will launch a new rice variety, '-183 G.G.R', starting next year, and in cooperation with the Agricultural Technology Institute and Health and Environment Research Institute, it will manage quality to ensure that 183 pesticides and harmful components are detected below United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards.

The province will apply this high-quality strategy to premium-grade brand rice, which represents the top 5% of Gyeonggi rice distribution, and will provide 100 million won in compensation particularly when harmful substances are discovered.

The province will also pursue differentiated marketing of Gyeonggi rice according to the rate of perfect grains or protein content, categorizing it into ▲Premium grade (for gifts, 5% of distribution) ▲Grade 1 (for high-income consumers, 15% of distribution) ▲Grade 2 (for general consumers, 55% of distribution) ▲Grade 3 (for food service, 15% of distribution).

Alongside this, the province plans to intensively develop 10 out of the current 167 Gyeonggi rice products as 'power brands' and prioritize support for production facilities such as rice processing complexes (RPCs).

To promote nationwide consumption of Gyeonggi rice, the province will conduct nationwide promotional tours in Daegu, Busan, Jeju, Gwangju, Jeju, and Seoul, and will provide mileage points and gifts according to Gyeonggi rice purchase records.

Furthermore, in establishing a foundation for high-quality rice production, the province plans to foster 30 Gyeonggi rice quality innovation zones spanning 300–500 hectares, where the Agricultural Technology Institute will provide intensive guidance on joint seedling production and management techniques, and will expand cold storage facilities at RPCs.

Meanwhile, current Gyeonggi rice production stands at 490,000 tons, accounting for 11% of national production (4.64 million tons), and a 80-kilogram sack is being traded at approximately 160,000 won at farm-gate prices, higher than the national average of approximately 147,000 won.

A province official stated, "Currently, other regions are conducting low-price marketing targeting Gyeonggi rice in the Seoul metropolitan area," and added, "We have formulated plans to foster Gyeonggi rice in response to rice market opening and to differentiate it from other regions."