부산물비료산업의 발전방안

Abstract

오랫동안 우리 농업은 농산물 생산량의 증대에 정책의 중점을 두어왔다. 기술이 체화된 각종 농자재의 개발과 생산, 농민들의 적절한 활용으로 인해 단위면적당 농산물의 생산량은 빠르게 증가해 왔다. 이 과정에서 화학비료의 증투는 당연시되었다.

하지만 1990년 대 이후 환경문제의 대두는 과도한 화학비료의 사용에 대한 반성을 불러 일으켰다. 환경문제를 넘어서 지하수 오염으로 인한 인축의 폐해에 대한 경고가 나오기 시작하였다. 정부는 친환경 농업의 전격적 지원과 함께 화학비료의 감축을 기획하였다.

부산물비료는, 농민들이 인식하듯이, 척박해진 농토의 지력을 회복하고 환경적인 농업을 실천하기 위해 그 필요성이 강조되고 있다. 정부의 친환경 농업의 육성 정책과 괘를 같이 하면서 부산물비료의 수요가 증대하게 되었다. 최근 연간 약 350만톤의 부산물비료가 사용되고 있다.

여러 부분의 정책과 연관이 깊기 때문에 중요한 농자재로 자리 매김한 부산물비료는 정부의 적극적인 공급지원과 소비확대 유도에도 불구하고 이를 둘러싼 시장상황파악이나 문제점에 대한 진단이 거의 없어왔다. 부산물비료의 생산과 소비에 대한 기초적인 정보조차 구하기 어렵다.

이러한 열악한 조건에서 이 연구가 시작되었다. 미래 친환경·순환 농업의 구현에 필수 자재인 부산물비료의 적절한 생산과 관리 방안을 강구하려는 것이 이 연구의 목적이다.

Objective of Research The growing eco-friendly agriculture contributes to increasing the importance and consumption of organic waste fertilizers. The support policy for inorganic fertilizers until the 1990s changed to support organic waste fertilizers. This is government’s largest-scale project for supporting farmers for agricultural materials now, and 160 billion of subsidy is spent for buying organic waste fertilizers. The subsidy is also spent for upgrading organic waste fertilizer production facilities. The subsidy is also spent for facilities for reducing stench from livestock excrement. Despite various support programs and increased consumption, there are few cases of comprehensively examining use, production and distribution of organic waste fertilizers, and involved issues thereof. Various issues exposed in each step have been sometimes discussed. In addition, related support programs frequently change to result in difficulty to study the cases. The interest in organic waste fertilizers is not so great as the importance thereof in agriculture. In this context, this study aims to describe types of organic waste fertilizer producers and distributors, farmer’s use thereof, and difficulty in using them to establish a strategy to address the involved issue. External variables related to organic waste fertilizers, the organic waste fertilizer market and industry, producer’s difficulty in production and sale, research and investment, and competition among the producers are described. Operation and distribution of sellers in charge of distribution are also analyzed. An analysis is made of farmers’ buying and using organic waste fertilizers, their evaluation and satisfaction, and difficulty in buying and using them. Issues found in reviewing related fertilizer management regulations and strategies for improvement are described.

Result of Research A favorable external environment factor is the steadily growing organic waste fertilizer market so far. It is natural that there has been an increasing request of organic waste resources followed by composting and making animal feed. This means that most related policies are very favorable. Exemplary company-friendly factors include government subsidies for buying organic waste fertilizers, subsidies and loans for projects for supporting livestock excrement treatment facilities, and funds for organic waste fertilizer producers’ upgrading their facilities, and support with environment policy funds. On the other hand, there are unfavorable factors as well. Korea’s and overseas economic growth downturn, poor farm household economy and reduced farmland areas are negative effects on consuming and expanding organic waste fertilizers. Shrinking eco-friendly agriculture is also an unfavorable factor. Competition among organic waste fertilizer producers is predicted to gradually be fierce. Organic waste fertilizer-dependent management, non-universal facilities, and limited advance to the overseas market are factors intensifying competition. Exemplary organic waste fertilizer producer’s burden includes seasonal demands for produced raw materials and finished products, and a given period to sell them because they are bio materials, strong middleman’s influence on distribution thereof, and request of discount and support. Exemplary factors which intensify competition include no specific quality required because of non-specific products, non-price unlimited competition and the like. Some factors contribute to mitigating rather than triggering competition. Exemplary things that make superficial price competition difficult include positive evaluation of future market, production by means of non-specific technology, contract and supply through Nonghyup. Farmer’s high faithful purchase and non-competition in raw material purchase are also a factor of mitigating competition. New producer’s entry into the organic waste fertilizer industry threatens existing producers. One of factors of intensifying the threat is positive evaluation of the future market. No need of cutting-edge technology and no differentiation among products allow new producer’s easy entry into the market. Current lenient regulations are also favorable. However, a lot of capital is required for various facilities and equipment for producing organic waste fertilizers, and establishing a sales network. The scale of initial capital investment is too much in comparison with the small amount of sales. General facilities can be used for producing the organic waste fertilizers. New producers need a lot of capital. There are threats from farmers and distributors. Distributors exert great influence on the current distribution process of organic waste fertilizers. They select producers and organic waste fertilizers to sell them to farmers. While undocumented contract is common, it is hard to control products and manage payment. Many farmers’ high interest and involved people’s influential opinion are also a barrier to ensuring long-term customers. Of course, it is possible to tackle the aforementioned threats with ideal non-price competition. Non-differential judgement for each product of a producer can rather facilitate marketing. Positively thinking the future market reduces the threats. This study makes the following suggestions for developing the industry on the basis of the aforementioned factors involved in the industry. 1) Stabilize the domestic market to be adapted to imported products. 2) Diversify management. 3) Ensure stable supply of high-quality raw materials and supplementary materials (including joint purchase). 4) Further strategically make an investment in R&D. 5) Plan early order, joint delivery, and collaborative delivery. 6) Streamline the complex distribution system. 7) Provide information to consumers and conduct PR. 8) Design a micro strategy for each distributor. 9) Appropriate adaptation to the political support program: inspect the application system. Straighten out the logic of conflict, and policy projects. Review the same support scheme as the grade system. Establish a strategy for tackling epidemic livestock diseases. 10) Streamline related regulations and establish a system for managing organic wastes. However, the development strategy suggested in this study cannot be a strategy employed directly to develope individual organic waste fertilizer producer. It is because issues and judgement of a strategy vary with the situation of each producer. Because the aforementioned suggestion is general analysis and conclusion, individual producers can or cannot accept the suggested strategy. Nonetheless, the aforementioned analysis and the suggested strategy for development will help producer’s judgement of values.

Researchers: Kang Chang-yong, Park Hyun-tae, Seo Dae-seok, Kang Seong-pil Research period : 2014. 1. ~ 2014. 12. E-mail: cykang@krei.re.kr