Category: Events & Activities

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on June 6, 2023 expressed confidence that the partnership between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) would boost the food production in the Philippines.

This, as Marcos witnessed the DA and KAMICO’s signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperative partnership for agricultural machinery in a ceremony at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

The MOU’s salient features include the establishment of a local agricultural machinery manufacturing cluster such as assembly production line, research and development of agricultural machinery technology, workforce training on agricultural machinery technology and a grant of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to further explore potential projects.

During the ceremonial signing, Marcos said the partnership on agricultural mechanization is vital to improve productivity and ensure food security in the country.

Acknowledging the partnership’s importance to increase the rice supply, Marcos said the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) would complement the mechanization initiatives.

“We all recognized very clearly the importance of mechanization for our country because we are trying to move the production, we are trying to make sure that at least the local supply for rice is sufficient and, of course, hopefully, also the other crops,” Marcos, who concurrently serves as DA secretary, said.

“The key to all of this is mechanization and all of the things that we’re trying to do. We have some programs to mechanize. We have the RCEF Program, in which is the collections from the tariffs on rice importations are then applied also to mechanize,” he added.

KAMICO said an initial investment of USD30 million would be made for the implementation of Phase 1 of the project.

The amount would be tripled in the second phase, KAMICO noted.

The project aims to ensure food self-sufficiency; transform the Philippines as a food exporting country; increase employment and farmers’ income; establish infrastructure on agricultural mechanization and industrialization; and pursue technology transfer and production of specialized machinery.

Present during the signing of MOU were DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) director Dionisio Alvindia, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, KAMICO chairperson Shin Gil Kim and KAMICO Director Si Min Yi, according to a Facebook post by state-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM).

The DA and KAMICO have already collaborated on various agricultural projects.

Among their completed projects are adaptability testing of a self-propelled Mechanical Elevating Work Platform for mango production operations, and technology performance verification and adaptation of a mechanized onion production system.

Their ongoing projects include pilot adoption and pre-commercialization of PhilMech-KAMICO developed corn mill; technology advice and solutions from South Korea; and Agricultural Mechanization Design and Prototyping Center project.

KAMICO, established in 1962 and recognized by the Korean government, has more than 650 members and is a major player in the mechanization of Korea’s agriculture sector.

KAMICO actively works in the global agricultural machinery industry by providing aid to developing countries, dispatching investment research groups to emerging markets overseas and conducting training for international customers.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. poses for photo opportunity with the Department of Agriculture and the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) officials after the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperative partnership for agricultural machinery at the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (June 6, 2023).

Pres. Kim of Fit-Corea and KAMICO visited DA-Philmech to extend their congratulations on the occasion of their anniversary celebration. The partnership between the two entities, which began in 2016, has been highly productive, resulting in significant advancements in the agricultural sector.

During their visit, both Pres. Kim of Fit-Corea and KAMICO expressed their appreciation for the successful collaboration and notable achievements that have resulted from their partnership with DA-Philmech.

Pres. Kim of Fit-Corea, KAMICO, and DA-Philmech reiterated their enthusiasm and eagerness to continue working together. They eagerly anticipate engaging in more collaborative projects and developing initiatives that effectively address the evolving needs of farmers. Their shared objective is to contribute to the overall growth and development of the agricultural sector.

This visit by Pres. Kim of Fit-Corea, KAMICO, and DA-Philmech for the anniversary celebration served as a testament to the strong bond and shared commitment between the organizations. It celebrated past achievements while reaffirming their dedication to ongoing collaboration and success in advancing the agricultural landscape.

The President of the Philippines and concurrent Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., made his way to the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) to lead the distribution assistance under DA last April 24, 2023, at the PHilMech central office in Nueva Ecija.

President Marcos holds concurrently the position of Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and in his speech told his reason for appointing himself to this cabinet portfolio – is his strong belief that food sufficiency is the very foundation of progress and development as a hungry populace cannot build a strong republic.

A 3 YEAR PROGRAM OF TECHNOLOGY ADVICE & SOLUTION FROM KOREA EXPERT S TO THE 10 SELECTED LOCAL MANUFACTURERS AND FABRICATORS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT: ASSIST FILIPINO COMPANIES BASED IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH RESOLVING ONSITE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AND ISSUES WITH TECHNICAL KNOWHOW AND EXPERIENCES

THE TASK TEAM VISITED THE OFFICE OF ASEC ARNEL DE MESA TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE TWO-DAY EVENT AND THE ACTIVITIES OF TASK. MR. ERIC SONG, THE OVERSEAS DEPUTY MANAGER OF KAMICO (KOREA AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY INDUSTRY COOPERATIVE) AND THE ONE OVERSEEING THE TASK PROGRAM FROM KAMICO, THANKS ASEC. ARNEL AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN THIS PROGRAM. ON THE OTHER HAND, ASEC. ARNEL DE MESA ALSO THANKS THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT FOR THIS PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BENEFIT THE LOCAL AGRICULTURAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES AND EVENTUALLY INCREASE THE QUALITY OF THE MACHINERY FOR EXPORTATION.

27th International Agribusiness Exhibition and Seminars, or AGRILINK 2022, is one of the main highlights of the year’s agricultural exhibition. People from other parts of the Philippines attended, participated, and enjoyed the 3-day event. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, AGRILINK was postponed for two years and continued this year.

This year’s theme was focused on “Inclusive Growth in Agribusiness Chain: Key to Stability” and the focus on having high-value crops in region 13. Together with Korean Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative(KAMICO), FIT Corea’s Korean pavilion is one of the largest pavilions along with the Philippine Seed Industry Association.

Region 13, also known as CARAGA Region is a region in the Philippines, located in the North-eastern part of Mindanao. CARAGA has one of the most promising crops produced like cacao, coffee, and abaca because of its suitability for growing in that region. Because of it CARAGA Region stands in 2nd place, next to Davao in terms of growing cacao in the Philippines, and fourth in abaca production in 2019.

Korean Pavilion is filled with great agricultural pieces of machinery that are made in South Korea, ranging from Rice milling machines to farming tractors and implements. AGRILINK 2022 is much different from older AGRLINKs because it was made more visible and accessible through social media and online advertisements. The Korean pavilion has a lot of give away; like foldable fans, tumblers, masks, shirts, and many more.

Despite two years of postponement, people still went and loved the AGRILINK 2022. With health as the number one priority, the booths and pavilions still showcased their agribusiness products, technologies, and information to the general public. We, FIT Corea, are hoping to see you all on AGRILINK 2023!

Project launching and machine demonstration of Korea Precision Rice Direct Seeder by FitCorea Phils, headed by Sir James Amparo, CEO and President of Yovel East Research and Development Inc. at Pampanga State Agricultural University last Saturday, May 14, 2022. The concept of this collaborative project is that in a clustered area all the technology needed for planting is already present. One of these modern technologies is the Korea Precision Rice Direct Seeder. Yovel East Research and Development is a company aimed at doing something positive for the environment. Their company develops products that consume less energy (or no energy at all), have no pollutants, are completely natural and when compared to non-eco alternatives have the same functionality. To date, Yovel East has already developed Solar, Wind, and Wave Energy, and now introducing the Korea Precision Rice Direct Seeder to the farmers for efficient and greater increase in yield. The Korea riding-type seeder is one method of crop establishment that will increase the level of rice mechanization as well as increase labor productivity. It has the potential as a method of crop establishment in rice production as well as seed production due to savings in labor and reduced seed requirement per hectare. The Korea riding-type direct seeder could also be used during wet and dry seasons. During the wet season, seeds were not displaced scattered by rain.