Issues delay Nueva Ecija agri machinery hub

The Department of Agriculture (DA) settled certain concerns of the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) regarding its planned agriculture machinery complex in the country, as the agency moves to advance farm mechanization.

- DEXTER BARRO II

A DA delegation, led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, recently visited South Korea to meet with KAMICO officials to discuss “investment opportunities and policy coordination.”

The agency said in a statement that the engagement centered around the planned 20-hectare (ha) Korea Agriculture Machinery Industry Complex (KAMIC) in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

The DA, KAMICO, and the local government unit (LGU) signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) in October last year to establish KAMIC.

This builds upon an earlier agreement in 2023 between the governments of the Philippines and South Korea to establish an agricultural machinery manufacturing cluster in the country.

The DA previously announced that groundbreaking for KAMIC was scheduled for March 31. It has yet to disclose other developments.