Korea is expanding assistance to African nations to boost rice production. The Rural Development Administration (RDA), through its K-Ricebelt project, aims to produce 11,000 tons of seed rice across the continent by 2027. The initiative is part of Seoul’s official development assistance (ODA) program for Africa, designed not only to address food shortages but also to strengthen long-term agricultural self-reliance. It includes training local farmers in rice cultivation and harvesting techniques and introducing advanced farming machinery developed by Korean companies. The RDA, an agricultural research agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is seeking to expand participation as widely as possible. Currently, 31 African countries are members of the Korea-Africa Food & Agricultural Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI), with several already adopting rice varieties developed from Korean strains. As of last month, African governments have imported Korean agricultural machinery worth a combined $2.3 million to enhance farming capacity. RiceSPIA The RDA expects that by 2027