SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) — President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government Wednesday to raise the productivity of the agriculture and fisheries industries with the help of digital and state-of-the-art technologies.

Yoon made the remark during a joint New Year’s policy briefing by the agriculture ministry and the oceans ministry, saying the job of achieving digital transformations should not be left only to the industry ministry or the SMEs ministry.

“It’s very important that the agriculture and oceans ministries also see to it that the industries they oversee are further digitalized, become more high-tech and achieve greater innovations to raise productivity,” he said during the meeting held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae.

“Only then will our young people dive into innovations in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, which they previously stayed away from,” he added.

Yoon noted that he has repeatedly called for overcoming this year’s economic challenges through exports and technological innovations.

“I would like the agriculture and fisheries sectors to also strongly push the export drive through industrial advancement and innovation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yoon again voiced his objection to an opposition-led bill mandating government purchases of excess rice.

“It’s rational for the government to intervene to some extent in order to stabilize prices and ensure predictability in our farmers’ production,” he said. “I don’t think a Grain Management Act mandating unlimited purchases is desirable for our farming industry in the end.”