KOTRA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
to Promote Smart Farm Export Expansion
As demand for digital transformation (DX) rapidly expands in major agricultural countries in Central Asia (CIS) and Eastern Europe, new opportunities for cooperation with 'K-Smart Farm' are growing, according to recent analysis.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced on the 16th that they held the '2025 Smart Farm Online Roadshow' and the 'CIS Smart Farm Webinar' for the CIS region, including Uzbekistan, and Romania in Eastern Europe from November 24 to December 12. The events were organized to broaden buyer contacts in the CIS market, which has traditionally been difficult to access, and to build on the outcomes of the 'Eastern Europe Smart Farm Roadshow' held in October this year.
In the CIS region, digital transformation in agriculture and greenhouse sectors is accelerating to address food security and climate change. In Uzbekistan, agriculture accounted for 19% of gross domestic product (GDP) as of last year. The local government is promoting improvements in water management systems and transitioning to high value-added crops under the 'Uzbekistan 2030' policy. As a result, demand for the introduction of smart farms to enhance productivity is also increasing.
Romania, one of Europe's leading agricultural countries, utilizes half of its land as farmland, but urgent improvements in productivity are needed due to an aging farming population and delays in technology adoption. The country is promoting the spread of artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart agriculture technologies by 2027, utilizing the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
This roadshow featured a total of 15 companies specializing in smart farm hardware and software based on digital twin and AI technologies, resulting in 85 export consultations and contracts worth a total of 830,000 US dollars. At the webinar, IoT, greenhouse, and agricultural education institutions from the CIS region participated to discuss directions for collaboration with Korea in digital agriculture, greenhouse automation, and AI-based production systems. Bakodir Eshanov, Director of the Uzbekistan Center for Agricultural Education Innovation, emphasized the need to expand cooperation and introduced the newly completed Advanced Agricultural Education Center in Tashkent as a representative example.
KOTRA will continue to jointly promote the 'Smart Farm Export Vitalization' project with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs next year. The roadshow will be extended to Southeast Asia, Oceania, Central and South America, Europe, and China, including the CIS. In addition, smart farm hubs will be operated in the Middle East, North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe to support Korean companies' overseas expansion and market diversification.
Kim Myunghee, Vice President and Head of the Industrial Innovation and Growth Division at KOTRA, said, "The rapid digital transformation of global agriculture is a golden opportunity for Korean smart farm companies to expand their markets." She added, "KOTRA will continue to work with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to reflect business needs and further promote the overseas expansion and market diversification of K-Smart Farm."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
