SEOUL, March 14 (Yonhap) -- The government will increase support for the local rice processing industry this year by providing more low-interest loans, the farm ministry said Sunday.   The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said a total of 60 billion won (US$53.1 million) will be set aside this year for easy loans, up six-fold from the 10 billion won offered in 2009.

 It will also raise the maximum amount that can be borrowed by a single company to 5 billion won from 400 million won last year.
   The loans can be taken out from the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup), which has banks nationwide, and through regular banks. Interest rates have been set    The money can be borrowed to build new production facilities and to update old production lines, and to buy equipment needed to bolster the country's rice-based food production sector. This sector is vital for fueling consumption of rice, which has staggered as people have turned to wheat and other foods, the ministry said.
   Under a rice industry build-up plan, the government has said it wants to provide 493 billion won in low-interest loans to companies from 2008 through 2017, with the goal of increasing consumption of the traditional staple grain.
   South Korea's annual per-capita rice consumption dropped to a new low of 74.0 kilograms last year, down 2.4 percent or 1.8 kilograms from the year before.
   The drop in consumption has increase the overall total of rice maintained at silos across the country, translating into greater costs for the government and Nonghyup.