The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Korea Rural Community Corporation have launched international cooperation to drive innovation in Vietnam’s oilseed crop industry. The groundbreaking ceremony for the “Vietnam Sesame Value Chain Enhancement Project,” held in Hanoi, Vietnam on 8 May, marked the beginning of combining the two countries’ agricultural technologies.

More than 70 key officials from both sides, including Agricultural Attaché Kim Hyun-woo of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam and Choi Chan-won, Director of the International Development Cooperation Center at Korea Rural Community Corporation, as well as Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director General at the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), gathered at the event to reaffirm their commitment to cooperation.

The main project sites are Nghe An Province and Dong Thap Province, where sesame cultivation is active. In particular, Nghe An Province has been fostering sesame as a strategic crop under the local government’s New Rural Development Policy, but outdated facilities and inadequate cultivation techniques have limited the creation of high added value.

In response, the Korean government will inject a total of KRW 6.7 billion into the project by 2027. The core objective is not merely to build facilities, but to introduce a one-stop system spanning seed supply, drying, processing, and distribution. The plan is to establish a modern Agricultural Products Processing Center (APC) and transfer Korea’s precision processing techniques to enhance the marketability of local produce.

Dispatching on-site experts and providing training for farmers will proceed in parallel. The intention is to systematically root Korea’s advanced agricultural know-how in Vietnam to ensure the project’s sustainability. Once the project is on track, it is expected to significantly increase the actual income of local farmers and further strengthen the agricultural economic partnership between the two countries.

Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director General at the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, expressed expectations that this cooperation will serve as a turning point for upgrading the quality of Vietnam’s sesame industry and revitalizing farm household economies.

Choi Chan-won, Director at Korea Rural Community Corporation, stated that Korea’s extensive experience in rural development will provide tangible nourishment for Vietnam’s agricultural sector and that the corporation will focus its capabilities on achieving mutually beneficial development and securing a stable food supply chain for both countries.

Popular News