The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) held a ‘K-smart farm roadshow’ in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the State of Kuwait, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 7 to 14 October 2024 to ensure that K-smart farms can be more widely recognized in the Middle Eastern market. At the trade show, 12 Korean smart farm companies and 50 buyers had 369 business meetings to create export and import opportunities.
In AgraME, the largest agricultural trade show in the Middle East, held in the UAE, the MAFRA opened its first Korean pavilion, while holding business forums and one-to-one business meetings for Korean smart farm companies and local buyers in the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Importantly, buyers from the Middle Eastern countries showed special interest in a smart farming technology of reducing the use of water by converting moisture in the air into agricultural water. Vertical farming solutions and water treatment technologies also drew much attention from buyers.
Meanwhile, in the business forum, Estidamah, the national research and development centre for sustainable agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, gave a presentation on the current status of major smart farm projects of Saudi Arabia and asked Korean companies to participate in those projects. Also, the Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources of the State of Kuwait had business meetings with Korean smart farm companies.
Recently, S. Korea and Laos expanded Agricultural Cooperation discussing the ways for multilateral cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as the ways for the ROK-Lao PDR cooperation. H.E. Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea (ROK) met with H.E. Linkham Douangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in the city of Sejong amended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation between the agriculture ministries of both countries.
