Government, consumer groups launch campaign to boost sales of in-season produce as prices fall

The government and consumer groups have joined forces to boost consumption of in-season produce whose prices have fallen amid rising output. The initiative aims to support farmers by increasing sales of items such as cabbage and cucumbers, while spreading a culture of mutually beneficial consumption between producers and consumers.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held a campaign Friday at an urban-rural direct-trade market near Hapjeong Station in Seoul, together with the Korea Consumer Organizations Council, to promote in-season produce consumption and encourage responsible purchasing habits.

The campaign follows a decision reached Tuesday at the third meeting of the Agriculture and Food Communication Council, where the government and consumer groups agreed to strengthen cooperation in boosting consumption of in-season produce with falling prices. At that meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs asked consumer organizations to help promote sales of seasonal items including cabbage and cucumbers, and the groups agreed to join the campaign.

Hapjeong Station hosts an urban-rural direct-trade market that connects city consumers with local farmers. The ministry and consumer groups ran the citizen-participation event under the slogans "Strength for farmers, health for families through in-season produce" and "Responsible consumption where consumers and producers thrive together." The event introduced the importance and uses of in-season produce and highlighted how the urban-rural market operates; participants also received commemorative gifts.

The urban-rural direct-trade market is a direct-sales platform that uses idle urban spaces, pursued as a national policy initiative by the ministry. It currently operates at 10 locations nationwide — seven in Seoul, two in Daejeon and one in Busan.

Park Jeong-hun, director general for food policy at the ministry, said the greatest support farmers struggling with rising output could receive was consumer attention and increased purchases. "I am grateful that the consumer organizations joined the campaign, and I hope this becomes an opportunity for broader public empathy and participation," he said.

Moon Mi-ran, chairwoman of the Korea Consumer Organizations Council, said the group would follow up with a relay campaign involving its member organizations. "We will work to spread a healthy culture of consumption where producers and consumers thrive together, and to provide real, practical help to farmers," she said.