REMARKS OF H.E. CHO JUNE-HYUCK
AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO CAMEROON ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE FIRST
CAMEROON AND KOREA AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION WORKSHOP
HILTON HOTEL, YAOUNDE November 13, 2012
……….
His Excellency, Mr. Essimi Menye, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;
Mr. Bae Boo, Vice President of the Korea Rural Community Corporation;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
On behalf of the Korean Government, I am particularly delighted to be with you today to launch the First Cameroon/Korea Agriculture Cooperation Workshop. First of all, accept my sincere appreciation for the time you have taken off your busy schedules to give this workshop the meaning it deserves.
Coming up behind the laying of the foundation stone of the “Mechanized Complex Development Project for Irrigated Rice Cultivation in the Center Region of Cameroon”, which took place yesterday, I feel very honoured to launch yet another First Cameroon/Korea Agriculture Cooperation Workshop which marks a significant take-off allowing our two countries to cooperate more efficiently and on long term basis in the agricultural sector.
Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you well know, global current and constant demographic growth and the increase in the destruction of vegetation, especially in developed countries, just to name a few, have adversely changed climatic trends causing acute food insecurity in the world. However, this situation also led to an increase in awareness for better management and sustainability in the use of natural resources in general and agricultural resources in particular.
Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
Le potentiel agricole du Cameroun est immense. Il peut être perçu par la proportion de ses sols fertiles, la disponibilité de ses ressources en eau, une main-d'œuvre jeune et abondante, ainsi qu'une diversification de ses agro-écosystèmes. En dépit de cela, la situation du pays en termes du niveau de modernisation agricole reste stagnante. Dans un tel contexte, il est donc difficile pour le secteur de servir comme socle pour le développement économique du pays et son émergence en 2035, tel que prescrit par le Chef de l'Etat, S.E. Le Président Paul Biya.
Down the line, Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Korea, also considered as an agro-allied nation in the early 1980s, made remarkable efforts to reinforce its agricultural competitiveness. By modernizing its irrigation systems, instituting mechanization and land consolidation, it was able to improve its agricultural productivity. But today, it has become an industrialized nation importing 70% of annual domestic demand in cereals. This shows the necessity of a deep rooted cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the field of agriculture. By sharing its “Green Revolution” policies with Cameroon, Korea wishes to contribute to the reinforcement of the country’s agricultural competitiveness, to the creation of jobs while attracting Korean agro-allied enterprises into its marketsp and into the sub-regional markets, in a win-win partnership.
Through this workshop, we hope to continue to contribute to the success of cooperation projects in the domain of agriculture, such as the on-going pilot Complex for Irrigated Rice Cultivation and to support the new second-generation agricultural policy, championed by the President of the Republic of Cameroon.
While hoping for an annual organization of such a workshop, on result-based themes which can significantly improve agricultural performances in Cameroon, I thank you for your kind attention!!!!
