29th Farmers' Day commemorative event held; farmers protest rice price drop outside venue

[Anchor]

Today, November 11, is also known as Farmers' Day because when written in Chinese characters, it combines the characters for ten and one, and the character for 'earth' appears twice.

This year marks the 29th Farmers' Day, and a commemorative event was held, but outside the venue, farmers gathered to protest the drop in rice prices.

Due to a decrease in rice consumption, rice prices have fallen by about 10% compared to this time last year.

Reporter Lee Soo-yeon looked into what efforts are needed to stabilize rice prices.

[Report]

At 9:30 AM, a long line formed.

Convenience store lunch boxes priced at 1,000 won are selling like hotcakes.

Nowadays, a roll of kimbap or a pack of bread costs 3,000 to 4,000 won.

After a promotional event started at the convenience store on campus, students who used to skip breakfast are now eating breakfast.

[Lee Min-young/3rd Year, Department of Economics, Sookmyung Women's University: "If the price is cheap, I think I would eat (rice). Because it feels like a source of energy to start the day with a hearty breakfast."]

If it is convenient and reasonably priced, rice can be a good option for the younger generation, who are used to a cup of coffee and a piece of bread for breakfast.

This is also why developing various products is important to increase rice consumption.

[Lee Gi-won/Professor, Department of FoodTech, Seoul National University: "I think it is important to highlight the advantages of rice, such as its lack of allergens, and to create customized rice menus or products that users want."]

Research is also ongoing to correct the misconception that rice is a major cause of obesity.

Rice contains protein, fat, vitamins, and provides long-lasting satiety, which can actually be beneficial for dieting.

In experiments conducted with Western participants, those who followed a diet based on Korean cuisine experienced a greater reduction in waist circumference.

[Kang Jae-heon/Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University: "I believe it has been proven that a rice-centered diet is much healthier than other Western diets, instant foods, or fast foods."]

The government has announced that, as Korean cuisine is gaining popularity overseas, it will promote various measures to increase rice consumption, including the revitalization of traditional alcoholic beverages.

This is KBS News, Lee Soo-yeon.