Korea, Uzbekistan sign MOU to expand agricultural cooperation

Korea’s Rural Development Administration (RDA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture on Monday to support sustainable agricultural development and expand bilateral cooperation.

The RDA, an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said the agreement was signed ahead of the Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on Wednesday. The MOU aims to help Uzbekistan train agricultural specialists by drawing on Korea’s farming technologies and the RDA’s experience in structured training programs.

Under the agreement, the two countries will cooperate to improve agricultural productivity through advanced technologies and sustainable farming practices. They will also expand knowledge-sharing, technical guidance and consulting, professional training and exchanges among agricultural institutions and experts.

The RDA will help develop customized training programs that reflect Uzbekistan’s farming conditions and needs. It also plans to strengthen the capabilities of researchers, agricultural workers and farmers through exchanges and invitation programs for specialists from both countries.

The agreement follows discussions that began in October last year, when the RDA and Uzbekistan’s agriculture ministry explored ways to support the development of agricultural professionals. RDA Administrator Lee Seung-don visited Uzbekistan in May and met with the Uzbek agriculture minister. After further consultations, the two sides finalized the wording of the MOU in August.

The RDA has cooperated with Uzbekistan on agricultural technology since the Central Asian country joined the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative in 2022. Joint projects have included standardizing and digitizing soil information and identifying promising pepper and tomato varieties better suited to changing climate conditions.

By 2025, the RDA had provided capacity-building training to 116 Uzbek agricultural officials and workers in areas including rural extension services, rice production, livestock, horticulture and agricultural development.

The agency has also carried out locally tailored technology development, demonstration and dissemination projects through its Korea Program on International Agriculture since 2009. Its cooperation with Uzbekistan has covered rice, livestock, vegetables and rural extension services.

The RDA said the projects contributed to the establishment of a rice seed multiplication center under a presidential decree issued by Uzbekistan in September 2025.

“This agreement will serve as an opportunity to take our accumulated agricultural technology cooperation with Uzbekistan to the next level,” Lee said. “We will actively share the RDA’s agricultural technologies and educational experience to strengthen Uzbekistan’s agricultural workforce and promote sustainable development in both countries.”