U.S. agricultural cooperation with North Korea
[Letters to the editor]
Korea Herald
May 3, 2001The article in The Korea Herald (April 23), "Pyongyang's delegation finds obstacles in agricultural cooperation with the U.S.," substantially understated the success of the agriculture delegation that the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) recently hosted in the United States.
Rather than finding "obstacles," the delegation noted many practices of U.S. pig and poultry farmers that could be adapted in North Korea including for example age-specific feed formulations, building and pen construction details, and automated ventilation and environmental control for animal barns. The delegation was also extremely appreciative of the wholehearted cooperation received from Iowa State University, the University of Missouri, Washington State University and Heifer Project International - as well as the many individual farmers, government animal health officials, and agribusiness companies who shared their technical and managerial experience.
AFSC noted that the members of the delegation were all specialists with wide practical experience in their respective fields. They did not expect to simply transfer U.S. production systems to North Korea, but rather to identify what aspects of the U.S. agriculture system can best be adapted to conditions at home. AFSC and its counterparts in North Korea will continue to develop opportunities for future technical exchanges.
Randall Ireson
American Friends Service Committee