[Government Sets '99 Export Target for Agricultural Goods at $2 Billion ...]
The government has set the export target for agr., livestock and forestry goods at $2 billion this year, up 17.6 percent from the $1.7 billion recorded a year ago, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Kim Sung-hoon said yesterday.
In order to achieve the target, the government will actively foster 10 major export items and intensify its export promotion activities on the Japanese market, which accounts for 45 percent of Korea's exports of agricultural products, he said.
By item, the ministry has set the 1999 export target at $350 million for pork, $14 million for flowering plants, including rose, lily, and cactus, $50 million for kimchi, $105 million for ginseng, and $145 million for forestry goods.
Presenting a written report on the ministry's 1999 business plan to President Kim Dae-jung, the nation's top agricultural policymaker said that the ministry will strengthen overseas market exploring activities further this year to increase exports.
Related to this, the ministry will hold international exhibitions for Korean-made agricultural goods 12 times and special sales promotion events seven times this year both at home and abroad, he said.
At the same time, the government will invest a total of 45 trillion won ($38.1 billion) for its second-phase agricultural - related investment and finance projects during the coming six-year period until 2004, said Kim.
In preparation for the full opening of Korea's agricultural industry to foreigners, the ministry will restructure the domestic industry and bolster external competitiveness of Korean farm households, he said.
For the first-phase agricultural investment and finance projects during the 1992-1998 period, the government spent 42 trillion won for the restructuring of distribution system, the creation of environmentally - friendly agriculture, an export increase, and management rrenovaation.
Along with this, the ministry will push ahead with merging the four bodies?the National Agricultural Cooperatives Federation, the National Livestock Cooperatives Federation, the National Forestry Cooperatives Federation, and the National Ginseng Cooperatives Federation?to bolster external competitive power.
(Lee Kap-soo Staff reporter)
1999.02.20
|
Newsdesk