Rural Development Administration signs MOU with Mexico's INIFAP; joint research to begin next year

Photo for illustrative purposes only [Getty Images Bank]
Photo for illustrative purposes only [Getty Images Bank]

South Korea will begin localization research next year to help its small and midsize agricultural machinery break into the Mexican market. The effort aims to adapt Korean farm equipment to local agricultural conditions for use by small and medium-scale farmers in Mexico, with findings to be shared with domestic machinery companies seeking to expand into Latin America.

The Rural Development Administration announced Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Mexico's National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research, known as INIFAP, in Mexico City on Wednesday to lay the groundwork for agricultural technology cooperation.

INIFAP is Mexico's national research agency for forestry, agriculture and livestock research and development. The MOU follows an agreement the two sides reached last year at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation agricultural technology cooperation working group meeting held in South Korea.

The two agencies will pursue cooperation across a range of areas where Korean agricultural products and technology can enter the Mexican market — including farm machinery, agrochemicals and fertilizers, and agri-food products — as well as rice variety development and productivity improvement. Exchanges of researchers and other experts, along with capacity building, are also included in the cooperation framework.

The first joint research projects are set to launch next year. The two agencies agreed to jointly pursue two initiatives: localizing Korean small and midsize farm machinery for Mexico's small and medium-scale farmers, and developing drought-resistant rice varieties and cultivation technologies to improve Mexico's food security.

The farm machinery research is designed to link directly to Korean companies' expansion into Latin America. The Rural Development Administration plans to share technology and information gathered through field demonstrations in Mexico with domestic machinery manufacturers. The goal is to raise the efficiency and productivity of small and medium-scale Mexican farmers while creating a foundation for Korean companies to enter the local market.

During his visit to Mexico, Rural Development Administration Commissioner Lee Seung-don met with representatives of Korean agricultural machinery companies pursuing market entry, hearing updates on their progress and the challenges they face. The agency plans to incorporate the companies' feedback into the joint machinery research it will conduct with INIFAP.

Building on the joint research in farm machinery and rice, the two agencies also plan to expand cooperation on research addressing agricultural challenges facing both countries and on expert exchanges.

"This MOU has laid the foundation for substantive joint research between South Korea and Mexico," Lee said. "We will support Mexico's agricultural development and help Korean agribusiness companies advance into Latin America by developing and demonstrating agricultural technologies that meet local needs."


adastra@heraldcorp.com