Oats are a significant global cereal crop, ranking seventh in production among major cereals. This study examines both global and domestic trends in oat production, offering insights into the supply and demand for forage oats and outlining future prospects. Oats are cultivated on 8.0 million hectares worldwide, yielding approximately 19 million tons annually. Russia and Canada lead in production, together contributing nearly 30% of the global output. The United States is the largest importer, accounting for 1.5 million tons, or 38.7% of global imports, followed by Germany and China. In Korea, oat imports reached 25,000 tons in 2023, while exports surged more than 86-fold from 1.07 tons in 2015 to 92.3 tons in 2023, driven by increasing international demand. Since 2001, domestic breeding programs have aimed to develop superior forage oat varieties, such as ‘Samhan’ recognized for its winter hardiness when fall-sown, and ‘Highspeed’ appreciated for its early maturity when summer-sown. Consequently, the self-sufficiency rate for forage oat seeds has doubled, rising from 21% in 2020 to 42.4% in 2023. These advancements in domestic variety development and seed self-sufficiency are poised to significantly enhance the industry’s future, particularly when supported by a more efficient and streamlined distribution system.
This study examines the potential for industrial cooperation between Korea and Viet Nam by quantitatively analyzing the structure of the sericulture industry and trade data from both markets. The findings reveal that Viet Nam, primarily focused on raw silk (HS 5002), holds a dominant position in the supply side of the sericulture industry. In contrast, Korea, despite its smaller market size, maintains consistent import demand and shows a concentration in exporting silk fabrics (HS 5007). Additionally, the sericulture industry has recently expanded into high value-added applications such as medicine, food additives, and cosmetics, indicating a trend toward industrial diversification. Based on these insights, this study proposes sustainable cooperation strategies between Korea and Viet Nam in sericulture, emphasizing trade expansion, technological collaboration, and integration with Official Development Assistance. These strategies aim to foster a future-oriented model of industrial cooperation between the two countries.
The Vietnamese government has been fostering an enabling environment for vertical integration within t he rice v alue c hain t hrough c ontract farming (CF) to enhance value chains, improve product quality, and increase farmers’ incomes. While previous studies have explored the impacts of CF participation versus non-participation, there is limited evidence on the differing effects of specific CF types. This study addresses self-selection bias using propensity score matching (PSM) to evaluate and compare the effects of two CF types―indirect contract farming (CF-I) and direct contract farming (CF-D)―on rice farmers’ income and yield in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Data were collected from 437 rice farmers across three provinces: Can Tho, An Giang, and Hau Giang. The findings indicate that participation in contract farming is not scale-neutral; CF-D tends to benefit larger-scale farmers. Additionally, farmers involved in CF-I experienced higher yields and incomes compared to non-CF farmers, with yield increases ranging from 0.44 to 0.76 tons/ha and income increases from 7.48 to 8.99 million VND/ha. Farmers participating in CF-D saw income increases of 5.04 to 5.54 million VND/ha, but the change in yield was not statistically significant. Moreover, those involved in CF-I had both higher yields and incomes than those engaging in CF-D. This study provides comparative evidence on the effects of different CF types in the rice sector and suggests that scaling up CF, particularly CF-I, can effectively enhance farmers’ yields and incomes.
A survey was conducted on the main activities and profit-generating businesses of seven agricultural associations based in the Ecuadorian Andes region. The key resources of these associations are as follows: Virgen del Volcán de Lloa: high-quality organic products include barley, wheat, and quinoa from San Antonio de Valencia, which also boasts good genetic resources of cattle for breeding and association-owned land; Agropapa: native potato varieties and a chip processing facility; Asoagroquero: a store selling agricultural supplies, including pesticides, to local farmers; Mushuk Yuyay: production of flour made from quinoa, lupine, barley, wheat, faba bean, and pea; Corpopuruwa: certified seed production of Andean crops under the association’s own brand; Asorprosariv: uniquely devised grain-based beverages and cookies. This study presents the cases of farmers’ associations in the Ecuadorian Andes region that add value to agricultural products and engage in various profit-generating businesses by producing and selling high-quality agricultural products utilizing local native crops.
This study re-evaluates the breeding history and agronomic stability traits of the garlic cultivar ‘Mansan’, emphasizing its suitability for consistent production in rapidly changing climatic conditions. ‘Mansan’ was developed from an open-pollinated seed of the genetic resource ‘14-2w’, collected in 2000. Line selection occurred from 2002 to 2010, followed by regional adaptability tests conducted in Suwon, Danyang, and Namhae from 2012 to 2014, leading to the final selection of this cultivar. ‘Mansan’ features an open plant type with milky white bulb skin, closely resembling the local cultivar ‘Danyang’. In regional trials, ‘Mansan’ achieved an average yield of 1,092 kg per 10a over three years, which is 5% higher than the control cultivar ‘Danyang’ (1,038 kg per 10a). Additionally, evaluations for resistance to major diseases, insect pests, and physiological disorders revealed that the control exhibited rates of 1.5% for secondary growth and 2.1% for leafy and non-bulbing issues, while no such disorders were noted in ‘Mansan’. This suggests that ‘Mansan’ demonstrates superior physiological stability under variable environmental conditions. In conclusion, ‘Mansan’ is a high-yielding and physiologically stable cultivar with excellent cultivation reliability. It is anticipated to replace existing northern-type garlic cultivars and contribute to increased farm income.
The aim of this study is to estimate the chilling requirements of various kiwifruit cultivars (Actinidia chinensis) grown in Korea using the Chill Hour, Utah, and Dynamic models. The chilling requirements for ‘Hongyang’ were 702 chilling hours (CH), 694 chilling units (CU), and 39 chilling portions (CP); for ‘Haegum’, 764 CH, 721 CU, and 40 CP; and for ‘Hayward’, 1,026 CH, 762 CU, and 43 CP. Analysis of ASOA weather data from the past five years in ten major kiwifruit- growing regions exhibited a trend toward a later dormancy break. In some areas, chilling requirements were not fully met in certain years, which could lead to delayed bud break and flowering, poor fruit set, lower fruit quality, and reduced yields. This study provides information on the current and future chill levels in cultivation areas and serves as a foundational resource for the future selection of domestic kiwifruit cultivars and the establishment of cultivation strategies.