Rural Development Administration

What Rural Development Administration does

The Rural Development Administration (RDA, 농촌진흥청) is a South Korean central government agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, founded in 1962 and headquartered in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do. It is the statutory national body for agricultural research and development, technology transfer, and rural extension services in South Korea, supported by a 1,001–5,000-employee workforce operating through a network of specialized institutes — the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, National Institute of Crop Science, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, and National Institute of Animal Science — plus 200+ regional and local agricultural technology centers that deliver direct services to Korean farmers.

RDA's technology stack spans crop science, horticulture, livestock science, genetic resources, pest management, and agricultural mechanization. Distinctive capabilities include the Seed Bank / Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC), which preserves 29,158 microorganism strains across 10,369 species; the National Crop Pest Management System (NCPMS); the nationally certified Web Accessibility Mark; the XENO cloned miniature pig line with stable genetics across 11 generations over 17 years for xenotransplantation research; and, as of July 2026, the CAS500-4 Earth observation satellite co-developed with Korea AeroSpace Administration and Korea Forest Service, providing nationwide crop and forestry imaging on a 3-day revisit cycle. RDA also maintains the Next Generation e-HRD AI System, built on proprietary Agentic RAG technology with vendor partner Lloyd K, delivering AI chatbot tutoring and multilingual summarization inside the Rural Human Resources Development Center. Consumer-facing platforms include the Nongsaro portal, the Agrohealing (치유농업ON) therapeutic agriculture platform, the Soil Information System (흙토람), and the 축사로 livestock management service.

As a government entity, RDA is funded entirely through South Korean national budget allocations rather than commercial revenue, and its go-to-market is direct: research outputs flow from national institutes through regional technology centers to farmers, while three multilateral cooperation bodies — KAFACI (23 African member countries), AFACI (14 Asian members), and KoLFACI (12 Latin American members) — extend Korean agricultural R&D across 49 countries. Customer segments accordingly split between Korean farmers and agricultural communities, regional technology centers as intermediaries, foreign agricultural ministries/agencies in partner countries, and adjacent public bodies such as the Korea Forest Service and Korea AeroSpace Administration. No commercial pricing model applies; service access is public.

Name

Rural Development Administration

Legal name

Rural Development Administration (농촌진흥청)

Website

https://rda.go.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Rural Development Administration is a South Korean central government agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, delivering national agricultural R&D, technology transfer, and extension services to Korean farmers and to 49 partner countries via KAFACI, AFACI, and KoLFACI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG), Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Farm Data Platforms, Integration & APIs (Interoperability/Middleware) (AFAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• Crop science research
• Agricultural extension services
• Livestock science research
• Rural development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeonju

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: The Rural Development Administration operates as a government agency funded through national budget allocations from the South Korean government for agricultural research and rural development activities

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Rural Development Administration (RDA) is South Korea's central government agency for agricultural research and development, providing agricultural science research, technology transfer, and extension services. It operates multiple national research institutes covering crop science, horticulture, livestock, and agricultural mechanization, and disseminates technologies to Korean farmers through 200+ regional agricultural technology centers and digital platforms such as the Nongsaro portal. RDA also manages international agricultural cooperation programs (KAFACI, AFACI, KoLFACI) with 49 member countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Product overview

The Rural Development Administration operates a unified platform portfolio centered on agricultural technology information services. The core offerings include Nongsaro (농사로), a comprehensive agricultural information portal; the Seed Bank (씨앗은행) genetic resource system managing plants, microorganisms, insects and viruses; specialized systems for crop pest management, soil information, pesticide safety, and livestock management; and the Agricultural Technology Data Platform for analytics. Supporting platforms include the Agrohealing therapeutic agriculture service, Agricultural Science Museum with virtual exhibition capabilities, and the Rural Human Resources Development Center featuring AI-powered learning systems. The administration also manages international agricultural cooperation programs (KAFACI, KoLFACI, AFACI) across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 농사로 (Nongsaro): Agricultural technology information service portal providing agricultural content, farming techniques, policy information, and extension services for Korean farmers
• KAFACI
• KoLFACI
• AFACI
• 농진청ON (RDA ON)
• 치유농업ON (Agrohealing)

Products and services

• Nongsaro Portal (농사로) Comprehensive agricultural technology information service portal providing agricultural content, policy information, technical guidance, crop-specific cultivation guides, video tutorials, and farming schedule information for Korean farmers and the agricultural community.
• AI Isaac (AI 이사이) AI-powered agricultural encyclopedia providing customized farming guidance for farmers based on RDA's agricultural science knowledge base.
• Seed Bank / Agricultural Genetic Resource Bank (씨앗은행) Agricultural genetic resource information system managed by National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, providing search, distribution, and deposit services for plant, microorganism, insect, and plant virus genetic resources. The KACC (Korean Agricultural Culture Collection) holds 29,158 strains across 10,369 species.
• National Crop Pest Management System (NCPMS) (국가농작물병해충관리시스템) National system for managing crop pest information and providing pest control guidance to farmers and extension workers across South Korea.
• Agricultural Technology Data Platform (농업기술 데이터 플랫폼) Data platform providing agricultural technology information and analytics for researchers, extension workers, and farmers.
• Agrohealing (치유농업ON) Therapeutic agriculture platform combining wellness and farming, with a certification system for excellent therapeutic agriculture facilities open to the public.
• Agricultural Science Technology Information Service (ASTIS) Information service for agricultural science and technology research data accessible to researchers and the public.
• Pesticide Safety Information System (농약안전정보시스템) System providing pesticide safety information, guidelines, and usage regulations for farmers and agricultural professionals.
• Soil Information System (흙토람) Soil information and management system providing soil data, analysis tools, and recommendations for farmers and researchers.
• Livestock Management System (축사로) Livestock management system providing guidance on cattle, Hanwoo, and other livestock, including cattle heat stress index alerts for farmers.
• Agricultural Science Museum (농업과학관) Virtual exhibition hall and reservation center for agricultural science education, with public engagement programs.
• Rural Human Resources Development Center (농촌인적자원개발) Human resources development platform for rural communities, including the Next Generation e-HRD System featuring AI-powered learning support with proprietary Agentic RAG technology.
• National Standard Food Composition Database Comprehensive food ingredient database considered Asia's highest-level food composition data, publicly available for researchers, food industry, and consumers.
• KAFACI (Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative) Multilateral intergovernmental cooperation initiative connecting Korea with 23 African member countries for joint agricultural R&D, technology transfer, and capacity building.
• AFACI (Asian Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative) Regional cooperation initiative connecting Korean agricultural expertise with 14 Asian member countries for technology transfer and capacity building in agriculture.
• KoLFACI (Korea-Latin America Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative) Cooperation initiative with 12 Latin American member countries focusing on coffee, cacao, digital agriculture, and greenhouse gas reduction projects.
• CAS500-4 Agricultural and Forestry Observation Satellite Service Earth observation service using the jointly operated CAS500-4 satellite providing crop growth analysis and agricultural monitoring data every 3 days for use by RDA and partner agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Satellite captures entire country every 3 days for agricultural monitoring
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KAFACI (Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2010Intergovernmental multilateral cooperation body inaugurated in July 2010 with 17 founding African member countries, now expanded to 23 members including Angola, Cameroon, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, and Tanzania. Aims to improve food production, achieve sustainable agriculture, and enhance extension services through knowledge and technology sharing.
• AFACI (Asian Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation initiative connecting Korean agricultural expertise with 14 Asian member countries for technology transfer and capacity building in agriculture.
• KoLFACI (Korea-Latin America Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation initiative with 12 Latin American member countries including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Haiti, and Dominican Republic focusing on coffee, cacao, digital agriculture, and greenhouse gas reduction projects.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational organization operating the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) where Korea's livestock genetic resources including horses, pigs, and dogs are registered.
• Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint satellite development for agricultural and forestry monitoring. The CAS500-4 satellite launched in July 2026 provides earth observation data for crop growth analysis.
• Korea Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint user of CAS500-4 satellite data for forest change monitoring, wildfire detection, and climate change analysis alongside agricultural applications.
• International Agricultural Research OrganizationsmajorTechnology or IntegrationNetwork of 9 major international organizations including IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), CGIAR, IFPRI, AVRDC (World Vegetable Center), CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center), CIP (International Potato Center), IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), and OECD.
• National Institute of Crop SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRDA-affiliated research institute collaborating on barley variety development, crop science research, and stable supply of new variety seeds to local governments.
• Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency supporting technology transfer and agricultural extension services, party to business agreement for barley industry revitalization.
• BarleyolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBarley processing company collaborating with Yeonggwang County on production and processing linkage for new barley varieties.
• Yeonggwang CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government in South Korea collaborating with RDA-affiliated institutes to revitalize local barley industry through variety stabilization and processing.
• Lloyd KmajorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider implementing AI-based learning support services in the Next Generation e-HRD System construction project, integrating educational systems and AI chatbots using proprietary Agentic RAG technology.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry overseeing RDA's operations and 2026 farm labor support plan targeting 60% public program labor share by 2030.
• Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing agency for K-Farm agricultural exhibition and RDA-hosted Agricultural Technology Fair scheduled for June 2026 in Cheongju.
• Messe ILSANGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganizing company for 2026 Chungcheong K-Farm exhibition, supporting participating firms in overseas market development as an export voucher designated institution.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO): Japan's national agricultural R&D agency, operating crop, livestock, and food research institutes with extension linkages. Closest direct structural analogue to RDA's multi-institute national research model in East Asia.
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): India's apex agricultural R&D body coordinating crop, horticulture, animal science and fisheries institutes plus a nationwide KVK extension network. Highly comparable multi-institute research-plus-extension mandate.
• Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS): China's national agricultural research academy running crop, livestock, agri-economics and biotech institutes. Comparable scale and mandate to RDA as a government-funded national research consortium.
• EMBRAPA (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation): Brazil's national agricultural R&D corporation running crop and livestock research with strong international cooperation in tropical agriculture and germplasm exchange. Closest equivalent of RDA's genetic-resource and international-cooperation model.
• INRAE (France): France's national research institute for agriculture, food and environment, integrating crop, animal, and environmental science with extension-adjacent partnerships. Directly comparable in scope and scientific breadth.
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI): CGIAR center focused on rice breeding and Asia-Pacific rice systems; RDA partners with IRRI and runs a National Institute of Crop Science with overlapping rice mandate.
• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR): Australian government agency funding and brokering international agricultural research partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. Direct functional analogue to RDA's AFACI and KAFACI role in middle-income country research cooperation.

Broad incumbents

• USDA Agricultural Research Service: U.S. federal in-house agricultural research agency operating research centers nationwide on crops, livestock, and natural resources. Larger and broader in scope than RDA, with deep international reach via USDA-FAS.
• CGIAR System Organization: Global consortium of international agricultural research centers (IRRI, CIMMYT, CIP, etc.) that RDA partners with. Comparable mandate of open-access agricultural science for food security.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): UN agency providing policy advice, statistics and capacity building on food and agriculture. RDA's KAFACI/AFACI/KoLFACI networks operate as FAO-adjacent intergovernmental channels for technology transfer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/love_rda
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLUJsGYtuS2vRovTGqSCbbw
• Facebookfacebook.com/rdakorea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rural-development-administration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments5 records

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Frequently asked questions about Rural Development Administration