President Kim In-sik of Korea Rural Community Corp. (KRC)

Korea Rural Community Corp. (KRC) landed the design and construction supervision of Malawi’s Shire Valley agricultural development project, the African nation’s biggest state project in the agricultural sector.

Shire Valley agricultural development project covers 43,370 ha, bigger than Korea’s Saemangeum reclamation development area of 40,900 ha. The Malawi project is to be completed by 2031 at a cost of about 280 billion won, considered immense compared to Malawi’s economy.

KRC will be responsible for the design and construction supervision of water-intake structures for the development of farming areas, which consists of 20 reservoirs, canals measuring 310 km in length, drainage systems measuring 90.9 km in length, embankments measuring 56.2 km in length, roads measuring 318 km in length, as well as irrigation automation and drinking water facilities.

KRC has earned trust in the course of implementing agricultural irrigation development programs and irrigation project in Uentaka district, ordered by the Malawi government.

KRC has introduced Korea’ agricultural sector and advanced infrastructure technology while analyzing the feasibility of Shire Valley development project to transform Malawi’s agricultural villages and suggesting a blueprint.

KRC has walked off with the Shire Valley development project, outbidding prominent companies from Italy and Germany with close relations with the African country.

Under the stewardship of KRC President Kim In-sik, who took office in 2019, the corporation’s aggressive move to tap the African market has paid off. KRC’s implementation of the project is expected to export its agriculture production infrastructure technology to the world.

The Malawi government sees that the completion of the Shire Valley development project will enable a stable supply of agricultural water, thus improving agricultural productivity and growing lucrative plants for raising agricultural household income and transforming the whole of Malawi’s agricultural society.

President Kim said, “The winning of the Malawi agricultural development project is owed to KRC’s recognized for its 110-year technology prowess abroad.”

KRC will continue to export Korea’s technology abroad by providing design and consulting services of construction supervision using abundant experiences and expertise on Korean agricultural irrigation technologies the corporation has accumulated.

A map of the Malawi’s Shire Valley agricultural development project. (Photos: KRC)

KRC Earns Ethiopian Underground Water Irrigation & Rural Development Project

KRC was awarded the design and construction supervision of the Ethiopian government’s project on underground water irrigation and rural development project. The order was valued at 130 billion won.

A joint public-public sector consortium, headed by KRC, will participate in a package of rural development projects, including underground water tubular wells and irrigation development projects.

KRC Transfers ‘Dam Safety Management’ Tech to Myanmar

KRC offered agricultural dam safety inspection, management, and irrigation technologies to Myanmar irrigation authorities. The move is part of the corporation’s efforts to help the Korean agricultural technology sector expand its entry into Southeast Asia.

KRC said on Oct. 10 the corporation presented reports on the safety of Myanmar’s five major dams, management plan, and maintenance manuals and offer technologies on the establishment of emergency countermeasure plans.