The Administrator of the Rural Development Administration Chung Hwang-keun (third from right) discusses Korea-Zimbabwe cooperation on agricultural technologies with officers from the Zimbabwe Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre on Dec. 9.
The opening ceremony of the Korea Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) Zimbabwe center was held inside the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) in Harare, Zimbabwe on Dec. 9. The center was established to facilitate the sharing of agricultural technologies between Korea and Zimbabwe.
The center aims to develop processing machines for small grains suitable for small farms, poultry farming technology and disease-free seed potatoes and enhance agricultural management.
Although 70 percent of the Zimbabwean population is involved in farming, economic difficulties and drought cause severe food shortages throughout the country. To solve the food problem, KOPIA Zimbabwe center plans to provide tailored agricultural technology for the local farmers, run various programs to tackle farm-related issues and boost the food self-sufficiency rate of the region.
Agriculture Minister Joseph Made (fifth from left) and Administrator Chung Hwang-keun (fifth from right) pose at the opening ceremony of KOPIA Zimbabwe center at Harare, Zimbabwe on Dec. 9.
“Learning innovative agriculture technologies from Korea and raising farm productivity will increase the food security of Zimbabwe and provide opportunity to boost the economic and social status of the farming areas,” said Joseph Made, the Zimbabwean Minister of Agriculture.
“The opening of KOPIA Zimbabwe center has established a basis upon which Zimbabwe can start to solve agriculture issues,” said Chung Hwang-keun, the administrator of the Rural Development Administration. “The cooperation will continue in the future for the advancement of agriculture in both countries,” he added.
By Kim Young Shin
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: The Rural Development Administration
ysk1111@korea.kr