Seoul, 8 February 2018 - Chairman Kim Shin-Gil of the Korea Agricultural Machinery Cooperative (KAMICO) paid a courtesy call on the Philippine Ambassador to Korea Raul S. Hernandez on 8 February 2018 at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul to discuss bolstering Philippine-Korea Partnership in the mechanization of the Philippine agricultural sector and the forthcoming visit of a 180 member contingent comprised of CEOs from KAMICO�?s member companies to Cebu and Bohol on 27 June-1 July 2018 for the 2018 CEO Seminar.

During the courtesy call, Ambassador Hernandez welcomed the keen interest of KAMICO to assist the Philippines with the development of its agricultural sector through the sharing of Korea's agricultural technologies to increase agricultural production and incomes of farmers and rural communities in the Philippines.

Ambassador Hernandez also conveyed the Philippine government's appreciation for the continuing technical cooperation in agricultural machinery development being extended by KAMICO to the Department of Agriculture ? Philippine Center for Postharvest and Machinery Development (DA-PhilMech) pursuant to a joint MOU signed in November 2016.

Further, Ambassador Hernandez commended KAMICO's member company, LeeHwa Machinery, for pursuing a joint collaborative project with PhilMech for the development of a Corn-Milling Machine customized for the Philippines, pursuant to a joint MOA signed in April 2017. Moreover, Ambassador Hernandez expressed appreciation for the invitation conveyed by Chairman Kim to attend the Seminar and to deliver congratulatory remarks during the event.

Ambassador Hernandez also expressed the Embassy's full support to the Philippine Agriculture Office (PAO) led by Agricultural Attache Maria Alilia Maghirang and KAMICO in the organization of the Seminar. He also expressed hope that the Seminar would "pave the way for the Philippines and Korea to bolster agricultural cooperation and to develop collaborative projects that would advance the development of the Philippines' agricultural sector."

In response, Chairman Kim conveyed KAMICO's interest to contribute to the strengthening of agricultural cooperation between the Philippines and Korea through Official Development Assistance in the mechanization of the Philippines' agricultural sector. He also conveyed optimism that the increased agricultural mechanization would result in enhanced agricultural productivity so that the Philippines would be able to attain food security, raise the incomes of its farmers and bolster its capability to expand agricultural exports overseas.

Chairman Kim further expressed elation at KAMICO's participation in the Seminar underscoring that the Philippines was selected by KAMICO as a venue for the Seminar in view of the Philippines' fast-growing economy and attractiveness as a tourism and investment destination. Chairman Kim furthermore conveyed KAMICO's interest to engage in business matching meetings with relevant Philippine government agencies and business counterparts to be arranged by PAO during the latter part of the Seminar.

In closing, Chairman Kim extended an invitation for the Philippines to send a delegation to the Korea International Exhibition of Machinery, Equipment, Science and Technology for Agriculture (KIEMSTA) to be hosted by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and KAMICO on 31 October-3 November 2018 at the Cheonan Samgeori park, Cheonan province, Korea.

Ambassador Hernandez expressed appreciation for the invitation and confirmed that PAO would arrange the participation of a delegation in KIEMSTA which is Korea's largest agricultural equipment exhibition. This year, KIEMSTA will feature the participation of 453 companies from 28 countries, distributors, importers, members of agricultural cooperatives and agricultural specialists.

Since its inception in 1962, KAMICO which is recognized by the Korean government and represents Korean agricultural machinery manufacturers, has played a vital and critical role in the mechanization of Korea's agricultural sector. The agricultural sector is a major engine of growth for the Korean economy that has contributed to the attainment of food security, prosperity for farming communities and expansion of Korea's agricultural exports overseas.


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