South Korea to lift barley export restriction

The measures, be implemented after the country’s grain control law is revised
in the coming months, reflects changes in South Korea’s diet, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry said.

As of late 2006, the barley surplus
reached 224,000 tonnes as South Koreans on average consumed less than two
kilograms of the grain per year. The government buys a portion to hold as a
national reserve, while 110,000 tons are made into animal feed. Last year’s
barely production was 610,000 tons.

“When the grain control law was made,
there was a shortage of staples such as rice and barley, but this is no longer
the case,” a ministry official said. “Because the country will no longer buy
barley from farmers starting in 2012, there was additional need for an outlet
for the grain.”

South Koreans are consuming more wheat, meat and fruits
compared to in the past and this has caused traditional grain consumption to
fall off.