South Korea Moves to Stabilize Agricultural Film Supplies Amid Mideast War Risks

As the prolonged war in the Middle East raises concerns about shortages of agricultural film, the South Korean government is launching a pilot program with private-sector partners to stabilize supplies. Under the plan, the government will work with petrochemical companies to provide raw materials to manufacturers, which will produce agricultural film and deliver it to local agricultural cooperatives.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Tuesday it will carry out the pilot with Jinju Horticultural Nonghyup, which operates its own film plant. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will work with Hanwha Solutions to supply raw materials for agricultural film within this week, and Jinju Horticultural Nonghyup will use them to produce film and supply it to six materials sales outlets run by local Nonghyup cooperatives.

Agricultural film is used during the farming season to manage moisture, suppress weeds and block pests. In summer, farmers also use specialized film to reduce sun-scorch damage.

The agriculture ministry said supplies needed for spring farming have been secured nationwide, but it sees regional imbalances. To address that, it has been working with Nonghyup to support local cooperatives in areas with low inventories.

“This is the first case of producing and supplying film through cooperation with the trade ministry and Nonghyup to ensure stable supplies of agricultural film,” said Kim Jeong-uk, director general for agro-industry innovation policy at the ministry. He said the ministry will continue to monitor supply and demand and “do its best” to ensure stable supplies.