Latest news with #KOPIA
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korea aims to double Nepal's rice yields through new KOPIA initiative
New Kathmandu center to support seed development, mechanization, and self-sufficiency in staple crops KATHMANDU, Nepal — In countries like Nepal, where nearly two-thirds of the population works in agriculture, boosting domestic productivity is critical, all the more so given its reliance on imports to offset staple crop shortfalls. Stepping into this gap is the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture, a development program led by South Korea's Rural Development Administration, with a mission to share tailored agricultural technologies with developing nations. KOPIA currently operates in 20 countries worldwide, including six in Asia, partnering with local agricultural institutions. On May 29, KOPIA officially launched its Nepal center in Kathmandu, staffed by a director, an agricultural expert and an administrator, to help Nepal overcome structural barriers in agriculture and thus bolster food security. 'Our goal is to help Nepal achieve self-sufficiency in its staple crops,' said Jeong Mi-hye, director of KOPIA's Nepal center. 'We're starting with rice and potatoes, as they are fundamental to both the country's diet and economy.' According to Jeong, a confluence of factors has long hindered Nepal's agricultural self-sufficiency, such as chronic shortage of fertilizer, limited mechanization and fragmented land plots. Nepal relies on India to fill a 10 percent gap in domestic rice and potato production. KOPIA's model in Nepal focuses on field testing, seed propagation and technology transfer, with an emphasis on close collaboration with local institutions. "For potatoes, we're especially focused on clean seed production," Jeong remarked. 'Rather than starting from scratch, we're analyzing previous efforts by development organizations like FAO, CIP and KOICA in potato cultivation." She also noted that many existing seed programs suffer from poor continuity and a lack of trained personnel. 'Establishing a more sustainable system to manage and retain local personnel is crucial.' In this regard, though this phase is set for three years, the center is already thinking ahead. 'We need to prepare future initiatives now so the next phase can begin without delay, ensuring lasting impact." On the rice front, KOPIA, in coordination with Nepal's Agricultural Research Council and regional institutes, plans to introduce high-yield varieties tailored to Nepal's altitudes and climates from the cool highlands to the humid Terai plains, while advancing modernization through large-scale land consolidation and mechanization. 'We plan to package our cultivation technologies into an integrated approach, beginning with pilot projects focused on technology development,' said Cho Gyoung-rae, an agricultural expert at the center. 'Once these methods prove effective, we'll move toward broader implementation.' According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, Korea's average rice yield between 2021 and 2023 was 7 metric tons per hectare, nearly twice Nepal's 3.7 tons. When measured as milled rice, Nepal's yield falls to 2.7 tons per hectare, compared to Korea's 5 tons. An official from the RDA said that should Nepal expands the use of improved rice varieties and adopts advanced cultivation techniques, yields could increase to around 4.5 tons per hectare. The new project has secured long-term backing from the Nepali government. At the opening ceremony in May, Govinda Prasad Sharma, secretary at Nepal's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, called the center 'a turning point' for the country's agricultural sector in its push toward greater productivity. 'The Nepali government will provide administrative and policy support to ensure the long-term success of the KOPIA project,' he said. minmin@
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korea guides Nepal's push for holistic agricultural reform: NARC director
NARC director outlines twofold vision for Korea-backed agriculture: Self-sufficiency, export readiness KATHMANDU, Nepal — In May, when Nepal forged a partnership with the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture, led by South Korea's Rural Development Administration, it sowed the seeds of transformation in its agricultural development. In an earnest tone, Krishna Timsina, executive director of Nepal's National Agricultural Research Council, the country's key research and policy institution for agriculture, mapped out what the new ties could bring in the years to come. 'This partnership with KOPIA marks a strategic leap toward self-sufficiency especially in rice and potato production,' Timsina said during a press interview at KOPIA's Nepal center. He noted that Nepal imports around 15 percent of its agricultural products, which the country aims to reduce by increasing production by 27 to 40 percent by 2030, and by 40 to 85 percent by 2050. Achieving these goals, however, depends on Nepal's ability to respond to climate challenges and harness innovation in seed breeding and agricultural technology. 'We would love to learn from KOPIA's scientific innovations and adapt them to our own context, developing agriculture not as a standalone sector, but as one that functions within a broader ecosystem,' he said. Nepal views KOPIA's support as vital across the entire agricultural value chain from seed development and pest management to post-harvest handling and mechanization. 'Yet, the priority should be adapting the right technologies to Nepal's specific environment,' Timsina said, adding that future breeding efforts will align with consumer preferences, focusing on select rice varieties and native potato types with strong market appeal. Regarding machinery use, Nepal's lowland Terai region, home to about 800 of the country's 1,200 mechanization clusters, has a mechanization rate of 50 percent, but the adoption of rice transplanters remains at just 20 percent. 'Unlike tractors, which are used year-round, rice transplanters are typically operated only during the 30 to 40 days of the planting season," he said. Timsina highlighted the strengths of Korean farm machinery. "Nepal needs compact equipment suited for small plots and high-altitude regions, where Korea's small-scale agricultural equipment could offer a valuable solution," he said. According to Timsina, Korea's system could also help improve Nepal's machinery banks, public facilities for renting agricultural equipment, that currently face operational challenges and lack strategic guidance. Ultmatley, for Timsina, agricultural development means a comprehensive transformation that fuses technology, research, training and policy into a unified ecosystem. 'We need a multidisciplinary approach, and while our focus will remain on breeding and technological advancements, institutional innovation is just as critical,' he said, adding that technology transfer from research stations to farmers must be ensured through systemic reforms. 'We also need to collaborate more closely with provincial governments, educational institutions and local authorities to ensure meaningful adoption on the ground.' While Nepal prioritizes self-reliance in food production, it also envisions an export-oriented sector that could eventually share its agricultural expertise with neighboring countries. 'Our first goal is to achieve self-sufficiency in key staple crops. The second is to make certain commodities, such as those in the livestock sector, more competitive in international markets,' he said. minmin@
