Korea expands Latin American footprint with advanced farm tech tests in Bolivia

An agricultural artificial intelligence harvest and transport robot performs a demonstration at the 2025 Korea Agriculture Expo at the aT Center in Seocho Seoul, Sept. 25, 2025. Yonhap

Korea is turning to Bolivia’s rugged farmlands to test a new generation of export-ready agricultural machinery, betting that tractors built for the Andes could unlock wider markets across Latin America.

The Rural Development Administration said Tuesday that it has begun joint research and development with Bolivia’s National Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Innovation to create customized farm machinery tailored to local agricultural conditions.

The project also involves the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative and Korean exporters seeking to expand into emerging overseas markets.

Last month, the two agencies signed a technology cooperation agreement that lays the groundwork for jointly developing tractor attachments designed specifically for Bolivian farms.

Officials said the initiative marks a shift from traditional technical assistance programs toward export-linked research based on local agricultural infrastructure and field data.

The Rural Development Administration said the partnership will cover the full development process, including machinery design, local field testing, professional workforce training and farmer education.

Researchers plan to analyze cultivation methods and machinery usage for key crops such as potatoes while collecting operational data on tractors and attached equipment.

The agency said the findings will be used to develop machinery suited for small-scale farmers working in Bolivia’s high-altitude terrain.

Officials also said the technologies and field test results could later support expansion into other Latin American markets.

The administration said the project could help diversify Korea’s agricultural machinery exports beyond traditional markets in Japan, North America and Europe, while improving productivity and labor conditions in developing agricultural regions.

Choi Kwang-ho, director general of the administration’s Technology Cooperation Bureau, said the agreement formally establishes agricultural technology cooperation between Korea and Bolivia.

“We secured momentum for joint research aimed at creating overseas footholds for K-farm machinery,” Choi said.

“We will strengthen the global competitiveness of Korea’s agricultural machinery industry through demand-driven development and local field verification,” Choi said.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.