RDA boosts agricultural cooperation with Africa

Rural Development Administration Director General Lee Kyu-seong, third from left, presides over a meeting with agricultural officials from African countries in Dakar, Senegal, July 11. The state-run agricultural research institute has pledged to share more know-how with its African counterparts. / Courtesy of RDA

By Lee Hyo-sik

The Rural Development Administration (RDA), the state-run agricultural research institute, has been sharing its state-of-the-art agricultural knowledge with developing nations in Africa to help them boost production, control pests and diversify farm products.

Early this month, the institute held a meeting in Senegal, inviting agricultural officials from dozens of African countries, to find effective ways to strengthen the partnership and offer more tailored, field-oriented support to farmers there.

The RDA also opened a research center in the western African nation to develop rice seeds that can yield a larger harvest and are more resistant to pests. It also donated thousands of agriculture-related books to its counterpart.

From July 10 to 13, the RDA organized the Fourth Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) general assembly in Dakar, Senegal, to discuss issues such as Africa’s food security amid global warming, and sustainable agricultural practices.

The gathering drew about 100 government officials and researchers from 20 KAFACI member nations and from agricultural research institutes across the continent. The participants also discussed ways to develop high-yield rice plants and nurture agricultural researchers.

RDA Director General Lee Kyu-seong, who presided over the meeting, said the institute will work harder to form a win-win partnership with its counterparts in Africa.

“We will pass our technical know-how and expertise on to our partners here and more closely cooperate with agriculture institutes,” Lee said. “The RDA will introduce more cooperation programs to help boost Africa’s agricultural productivity and improve the livelihoods of African farmers. Hopefully, our efforts also will improve Korea’s image across the continent.”

Since July 2010, the RDA has been offering support to African nations through KAFACI, including Ethiopia, Cameroon, Angola and Uganda. By admitting Tanzania to the multilateral body this year, membership rose to 21.

It has provided information on how to cope effectively with diseases and pests affecting rice and other crops, as well as transferring a wide range of agricultural techniques to increase production, develop disease-resistant crops and operate farm machinery.

After chairing the KAFACI meeting, Lee met the heads of the Korea Project on International Agriculture (KOPIA) centers, set up to implement the KAFACI initiatives.

The RDA operates six KOPIA centers in Africa, eight in Asia and six in South America. They provide practical, field-oriented support to local farmers.

“The centers have been playing an important role in enabling African farmers to engage in modern agricultural practices and earn more income,” Lee said.

The institute also opened a research lab in Senegal to develop rice seeds that produce more crops and are more resistant to pests in Africa. It will be a training facility for agricultural researchers and students.

The RDA plans to increase the continent’s rice production by more than 25 percent by 2025 through the KAFACI initiatives, according to the director general. He said it will develop rice plants more suitable for the African environment and transfer advanced cultivation techniques.

On July 12, the institute donated 2,300 agriculture books to the Senegalese Institute for Agricultural Research to help its researchers broaden their knowledge.

The RDA, founded in 1906, has its headquarters in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, and operates four research affiliates specializing in crops, horticulture, herbs and livestock.