BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 13. Uzbekistan and South Korea are expanding cooperation in agriculture, education and food production, with plans for an agritech university, smart farming projects and new food-processing initiatives.
This was reflected in a statement from Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture following a visit by a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojayev, during which a series of meetings were held with South Korean companies and institutions.
''During talks with Lee Dong Jin, president of Dankook International Cooperation in Agriculture (DICA), the sides discussed establishing a Korea-Uzbekistan AgriTech University in Uzbekistan,'' the ministry says.
The proposed university would operate under a ''3+1'' education model, offering programs in smart agriculture, agribusiness management, biology and food technologies. The parties also discussed developing the university’s technical infrastructure and agreed to sign a cooperation agreement on the project.
The Uzbek delegation also met with representatives of TG to discuss the implementation of a smart agriculture project in Uzbekistan. The talks focused on establishing a smart farm, introducing advanced technologies, training specialists, and providing opportunities for Uzbek professionals to receive further training in South Korea.
The sides also agreed to test Korean varieties of vegetables and melon crops in Uzbek greenhouses, potentially creating new opportunities for technology transfer and agricultural production.
Cooperation in the food industry was another focus of the visit. Discussions with Sungshin L&P and Dongwon F&B covered plans to produce new products in Uzbekistan, including kimchi and seaweed-based chips, as well as opportunities to expand the import and export of Jeju tangerines.
The sides noted that Dongwon F&B products are already being sold in Uzbekistan through the Korzinka retail chain and discussed expanding the company’s presence in the Uzbek market.
The meetings reflect Uzbekistan’s broader efforts to modernize agriculture through technology, strengthen agricultural education and develop domestic food processing. Deeper cooperation with Korean companies could also support technology transfer, workforce development and the production of higher-value agricultural and food products.
The parties agreed that representatives of the Korean companies would visit Uzbekistan in August to further discuss the proposed initiatives and advance promising projects toward implementation.
''It was emphasized that these initiatives will serve to attract advanced technologies to agriculture in Uzbekistan, train qualified personnel, and increase the potential for exports in the agricultural sector,'' the statement said.
