Participation of KOICA Capacity Building on Horticultural Industry – 2025
Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP) applied for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), capacity building program to train National Agricultural Research System (NARS) scientists in the Horticultural sector. Accordingly, KOICA has granted capacity development program to horticultural sector from 2023 to 2025. The training program has conducted online and on-site.
In 2025, KOICA invited 20 participants for the on-site program. SLCARP proudly facilitated the opportunity for a group of Sri Lankan scientist comprised of higher management, middle management and technical grades officers.
The program was held in South Korea from 21st June to 4th July 2025, and was implemented by the Asia–Pacific and Africa Cooperation Academy (APACA) at Kangwon National University (KNU).
The program gave invaluable insights in the horticulture and floricultural sector development in Korea.
Key Highlights of the Program:
- Understanding the development and challenges of horticultural industry policy in South Korea.
- Learning about advanced high productivity cultivation and post-harvest management technologies for horticultural crops.
- Exploring effective marketing strategies for horticultural products.
In addition to knowledge-sharing sessions, the Sri Lankan participants collaborated to develop country reports and action plan on three critical aspects of Sri Lanka’s horticulture sector:
- The changing history of horticultural industrial policy and its advantages and disadvantages.
- The current status and challenges of cultivation and post-harvest management techniques for horticultural crops.
- The characteristics and challenges of export strategies for horticultural products.
The comprehensive Action Plan to propose. The program not only enhanced professional capacity but also fostered valuable one-on-one interactions with Korean scientists, broadening participants’ understanding of recent advancements in the horticulture sector. These experiences and learnings are expected to significantly benefit the stakeholders of Sri Lanka’s horticulture industry in addressing challenges and advancing towards sustainable development.