South Korea’s Minister Chung Hwang-keun of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on agricultural cooperation between Korea and Nepal with Minister Beduram Bhusal of Agriculture and agreed to transfer Korea’s agricultural technologies to Nepal and strengthen public·private partnerships. Minister Chung also called on President Ramchandra Paudel of Nepal and discussed how to cooperate in dispatching Nepali workers and transferring K-agricultural technology, etc.
As more than 60% of the total population of Nepal is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, modernizing agriculture is one of main national development goals. Minister Bhusal delivered the plaque of appreciation to Minister Chung Hwang-keun, expressing her gratitude to Korea for gifting 101 dairy cattle in last December, laying the foundation for the development of the dairy industry of Nepal. Also, the Minister expressed her high expectations as Nepal will be able to learn from Korea and rapidly achieve development after concluding the MOU on agricultural cooperation between Korea and Nepal.
Minister Chung Hwang-keun plans to promote the establishment of Korea Project on International Agriculture (KOPIA) center in Nepal by 2025 while transferring advanced technology and development experience of Korea, which transformed itself from one of the least developed countries to a developed nation in a short period of time, to enhance agricultural productivity in Nepal.
Korea Project on International Agriculture (KOPIA): KOPIA aims to develop, demonstrate and distribute agricultural technologies tailored to each country by establishing agricultural technology dissemination centers in developing countries and dispatching experts of agricultural technology there. (23 KOPIA centers have been established globally)
On the same day, Minister Chung Hwang-keun called on President Ramchandra Paudel of Nepal and agreed to mutually cooperate so that young Nepalis who came to Korea through the Employment Permit System (EPS) can be dispatched and work in the agricultural and other various sectors in Korea, learn technology and have experience before returning to their country, while asking for the government of Nepal’s support for World Expo 2030 in Busan. President Paudel welcomed the conclusion of the MOU on agricultural cooperation between Korea and Nepal by emphasizing the importance of enhancing agricultural productivity in the national development of Nepal.
Minister Chung Hwang-keun said, “On my visit to Nepal, I could see myself the government and people of Nepal’s high interest in K-agriculture. I will come up with more detailed follow-up cooperation measures, not isolated or one-sided support, so that Korea and Nepal can grow together by securing Korean companies’ business opportunities in Nepal, etc.”
