Korean machinery showcased in big expo
Every two years, something big happens in the city of Cheonan in South Korea. This is KIEMSTA 2018, the Korea International Exhibition for Machinery Equipment, Science and Technologyh for agriculture, staged by the Korea Agricultural Machinery Cooperative (KAMICO) headed by chairman Shin Gil Kim.
The agri machinery fair is one of the major ones around the world, and is set in a spreading tent complex inside Cheonan Samgeon Park, a cultural space and tourist attraction. Vendors from all over the globe flock to showcase their wares. Some of the most striking ones, however, were Korean homegrown.
There were tractors of all types, from hand tractors to driverless ones to tractor simulators for agricultural schools. There were climate-controlled hydroponic setups and drones that sprayed pesticide, as well as other machines that seemed to come out of a futuristic movie.
But – and this is relevant to our interests – there were a lot of machines made for the small farm. Automatic seeders and transplanters that can enable one person to do the work of ten. Rice mills compact enough for one family to use, or a small co-op to own. A corn miller that lets you choose the size of grits that come out. These machines are common in Korea, but have yhet to become popular in the Philippines.
“Farm mechanization is important because manual farming can be inefficient,” says Philip Kim, KAMICO representative and CEO of Fit Corea. “Have you tried to plant? Even after just 10 minutes, it’s really painful for your waist. So instead of that, we need only two people to ride the transplanter. You can do hree to four hectares a day.”
He adds that since there are less people going into agriculture, farm machinery will not only lessen the need for labor, it might also attract a younger demographic. We have to attract young people to drive tractors and they will find that it is an easy way to work the farm, he adds.
FACTORY TOURS – Aside from the tour of the expo, the Philippine contingent visited three agricultural machinery manufacturers. Kukje Machinery, maker of Branson tractors; Asia Technology Co. whose mini cultivator is the best selling machine of its kind in the world; and Lee-Hwa Industry Co., maker of rice and corn milling machines and which proudly employs 10 Filipinos in its factory.
Kukje Machinery’s Branson tractors are fast making waves overseas. Their tractors have surpassed global quality standards, as determined by third party testing; Asia Tech’s mini cultivator, on the other hand, allows attachment of four different implements and only needs one person to operate, allowing an individual to do the work of many; Lee-Hwa Industry’s rice mills automatically churn out brown and white rice, depending on one’s specifications.