Zambales town gets Korean aid to boost agri production

STA. CRUZ, Zambales, Philippines  â€“ Kim Kwan-yong, current head of South Korea’s Saemaeul Undong program, has committed to help further improve agricultural production in this municipality through the sharing of technical knowledge, skills and modern machinery to farmers here. 

Started in 1970 under  then president Park Chung Hee, Saemaeul Undong or New Village Movement is South Korea’s major rural-development campaign  to boost agricultural production. 

Kim, also known as “Mr. Saemaeul”, believes that Saemaeul Undong is an important key in transforming the farming sector of developing nations like the Philippines.

Kim recently sent a team from the Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, headed by director  general Jang-Heui Chae, to sign a memorandum of understanding with Sta. Cruz Mayor Luisito Marty. 

“As a municipality relying mainly on agriculture, we welcome the promise of our South Korean friends to help improve our production by teaching us the modern ways of developing high-yield crops,” Marty said after signing the agreement with Dr. Chae.

Through the memorandum of understanding, Marty is hoping that cooperation with South Korea could expand in other areas that could help further improve the lives of his constituents. 

The signing was held after the visitors conducted a three-day lecture from Feb. 19-21 to introduce South Korean farming technologies on production and management of horticultural plants, including vegetables, trees and mushrooms. 

Aside from Dr. Chae, the South Korean delegation was composed of directors So-Deuk Park, Seong-Yong Choi, Jin-Kwan Lee, president Yong-Dae Kim, Gyeongsangbuk-do overseas advisor Charles Hung Soo Park, Park Mong Young and senior researchers Yong-Seub Shin and Jong-Soo Kim. 

During the seminar, the farmers were introduced to different modern machinery for tilling, land preparation, harvesting and maintenance of livestock. 

The visitors also discussed the development in cultivation technologies, cultivation methods and the appropriate crop for each kind of soil. 

The experts also introduced the rain-proof cultivation and growing of crops like the ice plant, watercress, strawberry and lettuce in plant factories through the use of hydroponics. 

Farmers were also introduced to other techniques that can be used for cultivation of horticultural crops, improvement of soil quality, heating system in greenhouses, high pressure sterilizing system and hot-air circulation system. 

Also discussed during the seminar was mushroom production, one of the staple foods in South Korea.  Annually, 173,577 tons of different kinds of mushrooms were harvested from 764 hectares devoted for its production. 

After the lectures, the South Koreans visited Brgy. Lomboy – the pilot barangay selected for the initial implementation of the program – and studied the soil condition and other issues that affect agricultural production. 

The residents informed the visitors that aside from pests that ruined their plants, the mining site has affected the quality and quantity of their harvested products. 

The South Koreans gathered soil sample to study what appropriate type of plants to plant in the area. They also urged residents to try other crops and not just rely on mango and rice. 

On the third and last day of the lecture, farmers were given information about pests and other diseases that destroy their crops and ways to minimize, if not totally eradicate, them. 

South Korea plans to bring 10 Sta. Cruz residents to South Korea for training.