Global Voices Online

I was the freshman in 1993. Following an older college student who asked me ‘Aren’t you also a son of a farmer?”and led me to join a demonstration, I thought it would be for one day to walk on the asphalt street in the winter. But it lasted whole winter. On the street, in the park, and at schools, I distributed a printed copy and until now I kept it in one of my files. Even though I moved in and out of several places, it has survived in a corner of a storage area. Who wrote it? Who edited it? Nobody knows who did it. It would be natural as long as the person didn’t want to be caught. For my own study, now I’m copying it here. Words in paranthesis are my own. Let’s protect our rice!!

On the 23rd of January in 1948, developed countries got together and founded GATT. At that time, they sought free trade, but they excluded natural resources including agricultural products and primary industry products giving consideration to natural and environmental characteristics. However, in September 1986, the multi-national negotiation started including agricultural products. It was a foul behavior in order to solve the agricultural market panic of developed countries including the U.S. (Maybe their lands were way too big, and so flour, beans, and corns were surplus.)

The government and media (cho-joong-dong conservative newspapers) tell us that because we don’t open the rice market the UR negotiation can’t be complete. It’s not true. Issues for the UR negotiations are all 15 parts and the agricultural markets are one of them. The rice market is one of the agricultural markets. Of 125 member nations, 10 countries are related to the issue of the rice market. The obstacle of the UR negotiation is the different opinion about the reduction of the agricultural subsidy between the U.S. and EC, and about finance and service sectors. (According to my memory, 1-2 years later, the term, UR, was gone and it changed to the FTA. Grape markets of France and other European farmers were aggressively against it and the negotiation between the U.S. and Europe was called off).

Because Chinese rice is half cheaper than American rice, even though we open the rice market, America doesn’t get any benefits. Regardless of this, the reason why they keep insisting is the strategy in order to open other 14 basic agricultural products. Without knowledge, if we give up other agricultural products except rice, we are caught by their trick. In addition, they’re targeting other 14 agricultural sectors and started talking about the most sensitive issue, opening the rice market. (Today, flour products we have are mostly from the U.S., as well as beans, corn, and beef. Anyway, owing to the U.S., we could lessen the consuming portion of rice and could supply ourselves.)

In 1979 and 1980, when we went through the natural disaster, agricultural producers sold rice 550 dollars from 200 dollars, which was an increase of 225 percent. This year, knowing the natural disaster, the American rice market from Arkansas increased the price of rice from 370 dollars to 551 dollars, an increase of 48.9 percent. We don’t know how much it will increase more. A straw bag of rice is about 20,000 won (20 dollars) or 10,000 won (10 dollars). It’s just for destroying our agricultural base. After our agricultural base is corrupted, we can’t help but to buy the rice with the price as high as they demand. In 2000, the world population will be expected to be 6.3 billion. For this, we need 2.5 billion hectares of agricultural land, but now we have 1.5 billion hectares of agricultural land. It will cause the crisis of food. (it was 15 years ago. Therefore, at that time we didn’t even mention the decrease of the farming land due to bio ethanol, desertification of the farming land due to global warming, and increase of consuming means due to economic growth of China and India. But due to the sudden decrease of the farming land and increase of population, the food crisis will be expected).

Deficient 10.9%, profit 13.1%, principal sum 76%.. As you can see the table (no table shown), we don’t make money through exports. Per-unit cost of exports is 42-59% of manufacturing costs. After 1986, due to the Three Low Situation (decrease of international interest rates, of raw material costs, and dollar value), there was prosperity for 3-4 years. From 1990 to now (1993), it has been a downhill road. If we export a VTR with 120 dollars, we earn 1 dollar. But Japan, which provides essential accessories and skills, makes 12 dollars. Under this circumstance, the reason a company can survive is because the large loan with low interest rate (perhaps bank?), tax favor (support from the government for companies), 2-3 times more expensive domestic products than exported products (Hyundai Motor for example), and real estate speculation. They give all burdens to laborers and farmers with low salary and low grain price. (In other words, the reason why banks and enterprises got big is not due to make a lot of money through exports, but due to high interest, real estate speculation, low salary, and sacrifice from the farmers… and after 4 years, we faced IMF).

The slogan to insist that exporting is the only way to survive is nonsense, as you can see the table (no table shown). We are not looking for benefits from good quality products through exporting, but exporting with cheap price. In 1992, the total trade deficit is 5,143,000,000 won and the amount of agricultural imports occupies 82.9 percent, which is 4,259,000,000 won. (Agricultural products that we import are a lot. Now it is the beginning stage of the grain crisis, and, when it gets regular, we might throw all benefits that we earned from exports away for grain price)

The reason why Korean rice is 4-5 times more expensive than American rice is that American farmers (or enterprises) purchase the farming land 54 times cheaper than Korean farming land. In addition, they get the subsidy for exporting and production bounty. Of the cost of rice production in Korea, 46 percent is for service fee for the land. On the other hand, America needs 14 percent.
Table-subsidy per farmhouse in 1989.
Korea: 440,000 won (440 US dollars) EC: 3.9 million won (3,900 US dollars) America: 7.47 milion won (7,470 dollars)

Consumer price index of rice price is estimated at 5.34 percent this year, but it is estimated way too high. In reality, when the rice price goes up to 10 percent, wholesale price will go up to 0.4 percent and retail price will go up to 0.9 percent.(If this is right, the rice price in international market went up 3 times more, and if the current consumers’ price of the rice (80 kg) is 200,000 won (200 US dollars), it will go up to 270,000 won in several months. If the 5.5 percent increase that the government said is right, it will be 550,000 won in several months. Who will be right? Let’s see).

It is the most suitable product for our land.
It has abundant protein and has the lowest cholesterol.
Per unit, it has the highest number of calories.
It is the major income of farmhouseholds. It occupies 44 percent of agricultural income and 84 percent of all farmhouseholds cultivate it.
It protects from the flood. Korea has monsoon weather. In summer, there is a series of big raining and the rice fields with 2.3 billion ton reservoir can protect the flood. Compare that with 6 multipurpose dams that only reserve 1.5 billion ton.
It purifies the air. In order to produce 6,660,000,000 liter rice, rice will absorb 6.71 million ton carbonic acid gas and produce 4.97 million tons of oxygen. November 30, 1993. (Compared to last years, there have been heavy rainfalls and the damages are getting bigger. We think it is from global warming. Maybe it is because of the decrease of farming lands. After 15 years, I wonder there would be rice fields that we can cultivate)