An official from the Korea Partnership for Innovation in Agriculture, left, collaborates with local residents in Senegal to plant Korean rice seeds in this August 2024 photo. Courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Korean government's initiative to support African countries by introducing high-yield rice seeds developed by Korean researchers has delivered a better-than-expected result, producing a total of 3,562 tons of rice seeds in seven countries last year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Thursday.

Uganda recorded the highest yield of over 1,760 tons, followed by Ghana with 689 tons, Guinea with 640 tons, Senegal with 267 tons, Gambia with 146 tons, Kenya with 31 tons and Cameroon with 24 tons.

The K-Ricebelt project, jointly launched with the Rural Development Administration (RDA) in 2023, aims to contribute to achieving zero hunger in Africa by building rice seed production complexes, producing high-yield rice seeds and supplying them to farmers. The total yield in 2023 reached 2,321 tons.

Last year's yield also demonstrated the project's superior productivity compared to local rice seeds in African countries. On average, Korean seeds produced 4 tons per hectare, 1.7 times higher than the 2.4 tons per hectare yielded by local seeds. This marks an 8 percent improvement from 2023 when the yield was 3.7 tons per hectare.

The ministry said that based on the result, Korean rice seeds are expected to see rising demand from African countries. The authority said the Korean seeds will be shared with local farmers and vulnerable communities.

This photo shows that the Korean rice seed, AGYAPA (left), produces a higher yield in Sierra Leone compared to the country's local seed, ROK 24. Courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Meanwhile, the ministry has completed feasibility tests for the K-Ricebelt project in Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau, where governments have expressed interest in adopting the initiative. The tests showed that Korean seeds yielded an average of 5.23 tons per hectare, 23 percent higher than local seeds, which produced 4.26 tons.

Local rice experts said Korean seeds required shorter periods for growth than local seeds, making farming easier. They also said Korean seeds demonstrated stronger resistance to pests and diseases and offered better savor and aroma than local ones.

Sierra Leone agriculture food security division chief Jackariawo Ahmed Jalloh said he "checked Korean seeds' great quality" and "hopes K-Ricebelt will play a critical role for resolving the country's food shortage problem."

The ministry last year signed memorandums of understanding with Madagascar, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Angola to implement K-Ricebelt in the countries.

An international cooperation bureau official under the ministry said Korean seeds' high yields from last year have proposed "a new international standard proving K-Ricebelt's effectiveness." She said the project will "hopefully spread to more African countries and resolve food shortage."

The Korean government dispatched officials and experts from the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture Centers across seven African countries to cooperate with local talents and government officials for K-Ricebelt.