Paraguay aims to transform family agriculture with Korean production and marketing model

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the International Cooperation Agency of Korea (KOICA) promote an ambitious project to revolutionize national horticulture, with the aim that small producers leave the traditional model behind and become agrocomercial entrepreneurs, generating products with high added value and better presence in the market.

The initiative is part of the project to strengthen horticultural competitiveness through the development of producer associations in Paraguay (Horticom), developed jointly with the Korean government and Koica. In that context, the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Giménez, together with a technical delegation, recently traveled to South Korea to learn about the successful experiences of that country in post -harvest management, classification, packaging and commercialization of agricultural products.

“We want agriculture to stop being only as a form of subsistence, and that the producers see themselves as rural entrepreneurs. Marketing is key, it is where the effort becomes a gain,” Giménez explained.

One of the project axes will be the implementation of a collection center in Blas Garay, which will work as a core of the new production and distribution system. There, the Korean post -harvest management model will be replicated with cutting -edge technology and presentation standards similar to those used by Asian producers. The installation will allow supplying the domestic market and, in the medium term, generating exportable surpluses.

The project includes an investment of USD 12 million, destined for the equipment of the collection center and the necessary infrastructure improvements. The tender for the construction phase is expected between July and August, and it is estimated that the center will enter into operation at the end of 2026.

The initiative will directly benefit some 2,000 people grouped in 17 producer organizations from the departments of Central, Paraguarí, Cordillera and Caaguazú. The MAG bets that this model generates a deep and lasting impact on national agriculture, beyond the current government period.

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