The Rural Development Administration announced on the 26th that the completion ceremony of the 'KOPIA disease-free seed potato comprehensive production complex,' supported by Pakistan's official development assistance (ODA) project, was successfully held.
According to the Rural Development Administration, the completion ceremony for the seed potato production complex held by the Pakistani government on the 24th (local time) was attended by high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan and Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain of the Ministry of Food Security. The representative from the South Korean government was Administrator Kwon Jae-han of the Rural Development Administration.
Since 2020, the Rural Development Administration has been promoting the overseas agricultural technology development project (KOPIA) in Pakistan, developing localized agricultural technology. In particular, the application of hydroponics technology improved the productivity of disease-free seed potatoes in Pakistan by six times.
The Pakistani government designated the establishment of a 'disease-free seed potato self-sufficiency system' as a national project in May 2023. Subsequently, the governments of Korea and Pakistan agreed to jointly invest $2.5 million each over five years (2023-2028) in the development of the disease-free seed potato production complex.
As a result, a KOPIA disease-free seed potato comprehensive production complex covering approximately 3.2 hectares has been established, equipped with advanced facilities including hydroponic greenhouses, propagation net-houses, and cold storage.
The Pakistani government plans to produce 1,200 tons of seed potatoes this year, using this production complex as a base, and aims to increase annual seed potato supply to 160,000 tons (30% of Pakistan's total demand) by 2028.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, 'The completion of the seed potato comprehensive production complex will be a significant turning point for the development of Pakistan's agriculture,' and expressed gratitude to the South Korean government, hoping that the strong cooperative relationship between Korea and Pakistan will be further strengthened.
Administrator Kwon Jae-han noted, 'Based on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's full support, I expect that the cooperative relationship between our countries will be further strengthened,' and added, 'We will continue to collaborate on agricultural technology between Korea and Pakistan to contribute to improving agricultural productivity and strengthening food security in Pakistan.'