S. Korean agriculture minister to visit Malaysia, Indonesia to discuss food security, exports

All News 15:17 May 10, 2023

SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun will visit Malaysia and Indonesia for talks on ways to boost cooperation on the agricultural and food industries and to better ensure stable supply chains, his office said Wednesday.

During his visit to Malaysia, which starts Thursday, Chung will meet with his Malaysian counterpart, Mohamad Bin Sabu, and issue a joint declaration that calls for expanding cooperation on food security, smart farming and food exports, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The two nations also plan to sign the first contract of exporting South Korean beef that meets halal standards, it added. Halal is an Arabic word meaning "lawful" or "permitted," and it is commonly used to refer to food that is prepared according to Islamic dietary guidelines for Muslims.

In Indonesia, Chung is scheduled to hold a meeting with the country's agriculture minister, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, to sign a revision to the memorandum of understanding on the beefed-up cooperation in the farming sector.

Also on the table will be how to stabilize supplies of palm oils and other major trading items.

Indonesia is the world's biggest palm oil producer, and South Korea imports around 340,000 tons of palm oil from Indonesia per year, which is about 56 percent of its total imports of palm oil, according to government data.

"This trip will be a chance to strengthen cooperation channels with the two nations regarding the agricultural sector and raw materials, and to promote K-food items to expand our export market," the ministry said in a release.

Chung will return home Tuesday.