A ceremony for the shipping of 100,000 tons of rice in humanitarian assistance was held on April 17 at Port of Gunsan in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do Province. Shown is packaged rice ready to be sent abroad. (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)

By Lee Dasom

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will send 100,000 tons of rice to countries suffering from food shortages for refugees and vulnerable groups.

The ministry on April 17 held a ceremony at the Port of Gunsan in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do Province, to mark its first year of expanding the scale of food aid to developing economies via the United Nations World Food Programme.

Since joining the UN Food Assistance Convention in 2018, Korea every year has sent 50,000 tons of rice in aid. The 100,000 tons this year, double the previous scale, will go to 11 recipient countries that includes former recipients in addition to Bangladesh, Mozambique and Sierra Leone. 

The 15,000 tons shipped from Gunsan will arrive in August to benefit Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in the regions Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char. By late June, ships with 85,000 tons will leave the ports of Mokpo and Ulsan and Busan New Port to supply rice to the 11 countries.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Miryung said, "The Republic of Korea is the only country that has transformed itself from a recipient to a donor country in half a century. As a responsible member of the international community, we will make the utmost effort to fulfill our roles and duties by continuing to expand not only food aid but also the K-Ricebelt Project."

The project produces and distributes high-yielding rice seeds for supply to farmers in African countries struggling with rice shortages.

dlektha0319@korea.kr