잡곡의 유통 실태 조사 분석

Abstract

경제성장에 따른 삶의 질 향상으로 건강에 대한 관심이 높아지면서 잡곡을 찾는 소비자가 늘어나고 있다. 잡곡은 그동안 쌀의 수량과 맛에 밀려 식량생산 분야에서 소외되어 왔으나 식품의 기능이 칼로리 중심에서 기호성, 기능성으로 확대되면서 새롭게 주목을 받고있다. 잡곡이 함유하고 있는 고유의 성분과 영양 가치에 대한 소비자의 선호도가 높아진 것이다. 웰빙식품, 기능성식품에 대한 소비자의 선호도가 높아지면서 잡곡을 찾는 소비자가 늘어나 국내 잡곡의 소비량도 꾸준히 늘어나고 있다. 새로운 소득 및 부가가치 창출원으로 잡곡의 중요성이 높아지고 있다. 기능성 농산물로서 이용이 확대되고 있으나 국내 잡곡의 생산, 유통, 소비 등 관련 기본통계마저 파악하기 어려워 수요 확대에 따른 대응마저도 곤란한 실정이다. 현재 잡곡과 관련된 통계자료가 미비해 잡곡산업의 위상을 가늠하기 어렵다. 국내 잡곡산업 발전을 위해서는 잡곡산업의 동향을 정확하게 파악할 수 있는 체제를 갖추는 것이 무엇보다도 중요하다. 이 연구는 국내 잡곡의 생산·유통 실태조사를 통하여 잡곡산업의 현황을 파악하는 것이다. 이를 통하여 그동안 소외됐던 잡곡의 가치를 재조명하고 잡곡산업 발전 방향을 제시하고자 한다.

The purpose of this study is to identify the status of coarse grains produced in Korea and to find implications required for facilitating the Korean minor cereal industry on the basis of conversion of consumer’s preference and the direction of agricultural policies. To this purpose, we collect and analyze basic data for identifying the status of Korean minor cereal industry through survey of distribution of coarse grains produced in Korea. There is a great opportunity for increasing production and distribution of coarse grains produced in Korea. With the spread of food consumption pattern oriented to healthy living and increasing old-age groups, consumer preference for coarse grains produced in Korea is still high. Changes of agricultural policies contribute to the great opportunity for increasing the market of coarse grains produced in Korea as well. That is, it is encouraged to grow other crops instead of rice in paddies by means of support policies because of accumulated rice stocks resulting from recent decrease in rice consumption in Korea. Referring to the result of this study, coarse grains, e.g., millet, foxtail millet, Indian millet, adzuki beans, etc., are valuable for different use as well as healthy functional food. Therefore, it is necessary to make an effort for advertising and commercializing the use of coarse grains mentioned above. By the way, cultivation of coarse grains still depends highly on manual work because of the low level of mechanized farming and it has a weak basis for soil management, e.g., drainage and water supply facilities which is thus a factor of lowering productivity and lower quality. However, it is necessary to attempt diversified cropping systems including cropping paddies, fields, etc., for improving farmers' income as well as efficient use of farm land, since coarse grain has short growing period as compared to low productivity and a wide range of adaptation to the environment. With reference to current distribution of millet, foxtail millet, Indian millet, adzuki beans, etc. Nonghyup as a processing and selling union of farmers rather than local distributors have been engaged in distribution. Even though farmers' association has a high market share in producers' market, the share of Nonghyup as a processer and seller in wholesale market is significantly low as compared to the high share of private processors and wholesalers. The reason that a high share of farmers’ associations in producers' market is not connected to the step of wholesale is due to the significantly improving capacity of private processors and intermediate wholesalers for processing and selling the cereals. However, the scale of Nonghyup’s processing and selling coarse grains at the wholesale step is stagnant, resulting in farmers associations’ lowered competitiveness as compared to the private business sector. Coarse grains can be a highly usable factor for vitalizing local agriculture. Coarse grains can be cultivated with less agricultural chemicals and are environment-friendly crops as well. Therefore, it is worth to actively enhance the farming structure of coarse grains, focused on individual farm households to organize specialized business based on local agriculture and to promote construction of production bases, e.g., installation of drainage in hillside paddies for encouraging to cultivate coarse grains in the paddies, abd installation of hire business sites for farm machines and equipment.

Researchers: Sung, Myung-Hwan and Kwon, Dae-Heum Research period: 2010. 12. - 2011. 4. E-mail address: mhsung@krei.re.kr