An Analysis of the Economic Effects of the Pilot Project for Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields Focusing on Income and Welfare Changes

Abstract

The food self-sufficiency rate of agricultural products in Korea, excluding rice, is around 20%, and the government is promoting various policies including a Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields project, to increase the self-sufficiency rate of major grains. The project for Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields is being promoted as a part of a program to create farmland infrastructure to facilitate the cultivation of crops other than rice in rice paddies, and pilot projects were started in four regions in 2020. The purpose of this study is to analyze the economic effects of the pilot project for Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields, and to propose policies to increase the effectiveness of the project. In order to analyze the economic effect, we estimated the change in farm income generated by switching from rice to other crops, and measured the effect of welfare change using the Equilibrium Displacement Model (EDM). As a result of the analysis, social welfare is expected to increase when the pilot project for Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields is implemented, and the income of the beneficiary farmers is also expected to improve compared to that of single-cropping when double-cropping is implemented. However, it was found that the economic feasibility of the project differs depending on the crops converted. Juksan-myeon, Gimje-si, which is an area where soybean production was successful, was analyzed from the viewpoint of increasing the economic feasibility of the pilot project. Their success factors were analyzed into four major factors: infrastructure, farming methods, education, and collaboration with local agricultural organizations. If such a success story can be utilized in the future project implementation process, it can contribute to the improvement of farm household income and national economic welfare.N