Five representatives of the
Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea Academy of Agricultural Sciences have
spent the past two weeks learning about farm research from
University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
specialists in Athens, Griffin and Tifton.



The North Korean delegation hopes to take back advanced
food-producing
technologies to their country, which has suffered six years of
famine.



Asking questions and taking notes, the delegation has been
presented
poultry, botany, row crop and genetic research by UGA CAES
scientists.



Through an interpreter, Kim Sam Ryong, deputy president of the
DPRK Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said he hopes to continue
relations between the two institutions.

“It’s because the University of Georgia is one of the
biggest
state universities in the United States and it is very good in
bioengineering and poultry,” Ryong said. “Georgia has
a lot of achievement in broiler production. Also, you’ve got
pecan
trees, which could be similar (to producing) hazelnuts in
Korea.”



Facing the food shortage back home, the delegation wants to
develop
hardy, nutritional food varieties, and UGA CAES potato research
was high priority for the group.



“We especially enjoy the production of potatoes and sweet
potatoes. The Koreans should carry out what we call the Potato
Revolution,” Ryong said.



Last October, a UGA CAES delegation lead by Gale Buchanan, dean
and director of the UGA CAES, visited the Academy of Agricultural
Sciences in DPRK.



“The conclusion of the discussions was that if we work
together,
we can get much benefit for people of both countries. That kind
of cooperation was suggested by Gale Buchanan and other members
of the delegation,” Ryong said.



Armed with agricultural knowledge and plans for future visits
back to Georgia, the delegation will return to DPRK
Thursday.