Korean farm equipment makers secure $4.98 mil. in export orders from Southeast Asia

Korean agricultural equipment makers secured $4.98 million (6.6 billion won) in export agreements in Indonesia and Malaysia, giving local manufacturers a foothold in two of Southeast Asia's growing farm markets. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Tuesday that 27 Korean companies joined a market development mission to Indonesia and Malaysia from Aug. 31 to Friday. The companies held 276 consultations with 58 local buyers, resulting in export agreements worth $4.98 million, the ministry said. The mission began with strategy seminars designed to give companies a closer look at government policies, distribution networks and demand before they met prospective buyers. In Indonesia, speakers included Okta Prastowo Rahardjo of the Ministry of Agriculture's Directorate General of Agricultural Land and Irrigation Infrastructure and Abdul Hamid, president of the Indonesian Chili Farmers Association. In Malaysia, speakers included Badhril Hisham Abu Bakar, deputy director at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, and Kim Jong-hwa, chairman of the Korea Ch