News

Govt. to purchase 350,000 tons of rice for reserve

2017.11.14.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will buy 350,000 tons of rice harvested this year from Sept. 25 to Dec. 31. It will increase the purchase of rice from last year's 82,000 tons to 90,000 tons and buy 260,000 tons of packaged rice. Some 10,000 tons of rice will be set aside for ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve as Seoul plans to send rice aid to developing nations, the ministry said. The APTERR participation is also part of the Seoul government's schemes to deal with a chronic oversupply of rice in the country stemming from a sharp drop in rice consumption. Some 300,000 tons of rice remained in excess last year, as the 4.2 million-ton supply outnumbers the 3.9 million tons consumed, and the glut will likely stay at 200,000 tons in 2017.

(Yonhap News)

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RDA bolsters sharing of agricultural knowhow with developing world

2017.9.06.

The Rural Development Administration (RDA), the state-run agricultural research institute, has pledged to share more of its state-of-the-art agricultural knowledge with developing countries to help them boost production, control pests and diversify farm products. At a press conference with members of foreign media outlets in Seoul, RDA Director General Lee Kyu-seong said the institute will open more support centers abroad and cooperate closely with the Korea International Cooperation Agency and other government organizations, to offer more comprehensive assistance to farmers in Asia, Africa and South America. The RDA operates a total of 20 Korea Project on International Agriculture centers; six in Africa, eight in Asia and six in South America. Each year, it spends tens of millions of dollars to run the centers, which have nine RDA employees, providing on-the-spot, tailor-made technical assistance, undertaking joint research activities with host countries and offering training programs.

(The Korea Times)

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Korea's agricultural technology goes global

2017.11.14.

South Korea will step up efforts to spread advanced agricultural technology and share farming expertise with developing nations to help them tackle food shortages, a state agency said. The Rural Development Administration under the agriculture ministry has developed and shared agricultural technologies customized to developing nations through partnerships with local research institutes. The Korea Program on International Agriculture centers have been established in 20 nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with 10.9 billion won ($9.73 million) set aside for this year's projects.

(Yonhap News)

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KOICA launches 'innovation committee' to reform organization, raise transparency

2017. 12. 07.

South Korea's state-run overseas aid agency said Thursday that it launched an "innovation committee" to enhance transparency of the organization and improve its image tarnished by multiple scandals.

The committee, which is to start to work next week, will collect opinions and hold debates about what should be done to reform the organization before proposing its reform recommendations later in January.

(Yonhap News)

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