The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) hosted a policy forum on "How to Deal with Increasing Rice Stocks" at aT Center from 2 p.m. on September 17.

The event aimed to examine the current status of rice supply and demand and stocks and the causes of an accumulative increase in stocks and to seek the ways to handle the stocks through the gathering of experts and people interested in the rice industry and policy.

KREI Grain Outlook Office Director Kim Taehun said in his presentation, "The accumulation of rice stocks adversely affects rice prices and increases the financial burden." He also considered the utilization of rice for processing, feed and social welfare, overseas aid, and assistance for North Korea as short-term measures to cope with the stocks.