(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Joo-young = A domestic agricultural and food company has entered the United Nations (UN) food procurement market for the first time.
According to the Defense Logistics Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 14th, domestic company Z-Tek was selected as a supplier of 201 tons of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on the 4th.
Fortified Rice Kernels are processed rice grains that are made by adding vitamin and mineral premix (mixed powder) to rice flour and then kneading, extruding, and shaping them into grain form.
By mixing one Fortified Rice Kernel with 100 grains of regular rice, one can supplement key micronutrients such as iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamins A, B1, and B12.
It maintains the taste and shape of rice while increasing its nutritional value, making it effective in preventing malnutrition in impoverished areas or refugee camps.
In particular, it can contribute to improving the nutrition of vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women, and is an item that international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are paying attention to.
The government, starting with the invitation of a WFP procurement officer to the 'Global Public Procurement Market Meeting' (GPPM) held in November last year, established a 'UN Procurement Market Entry Consultation Body' together with the Defense Logistics Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the One-Stop Export Order Support Team of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the National Food Cluster Promotion Agency.
By selecting Fortified Rice Kernels as a strategic item and supporting technology guidance and UN food supplier registration certification, etc., the goal was for a domestic company to supply 201 tons of Fortified Rice Kernels to be mixed with aid rice for Bangladesh, and Z-Tek succeeded in entering the market.
The 201 tons of Fortified Rice Kernels awarded to Z-Tek by WFP will be mixed with 26,400 tons of aid rice to be shipped to Bangladesh next month and used for local refugees and vulnerable groups.
Lee Hyeong-sik, Planning and Coordination Officer of the Defense Logistics Agency, said, "Beyond the simple aid dimension, this is the first case where a South Korean agricultural and food company has officially entered the procurement market of an international organization," and "It shows the power of Korea, which has grown from a recipient country to a donor country in just one generation."
Jung Gyeong-seok, Director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "This is a meaningful first step in proving the competitiveness of our agricultural and food industry on the international stage," and "In the future, we will enter the UN procurement market with not only Fortified Rice Kernels but also various items such as fortified biscuits and super cereals..."