Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade

What Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade does

Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT; 한국농수산식품유통공사) is a South Korean government-owned public corporation established in 1964 and operating under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA). Headquartered in Naju, South Jeolla Province, with 501-1000 employees, aT executes state trading and food security functions: it manages WTO Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) auctions for agricultural imports including rice, soybeans, and sesame; operates government procurement for price stabilization; and runs a domestic network of 32 public wholesale markets. The corporation also serves as the primary state instrument for promoting Korean food exports through trade exhibitions, buyer matching, and certification support for major Korean food manufacturers such as Samyang Foods, Daesang, CJ CheilJedang, and Dongwon F&B.

aT's core technology stack is a portfolio of approximately 18 interconnected digital platforms rather than a single product. These include KAMIS for daily wholesale and retail price dissemination, Nongnet and KADX (Korea Agro-Food Data Exchange) for agricultural big data, KATI for export information, aTBid for electronic bidding and TRQ auctions, K-Food Trade (케이푸드트레이드) for B2B overseas buyer matching, the Agricultural Product Online Wholesale Market (KAFB2B), an APC Information Support System, and traceability platforms like Nongjip. Underlying these is proprietary operational infrastructure for WTO TRQ quota management, electronic bidding, and supply chain traceability for specialized agricultural production complexes.

aT's revenue model is hybrid and primarily state-funded. Direct revenue streams include managed-services income from government procurement and TRQ auction operations and professional-services income from export promotion support. Pricing for procurement and quotas is set via competitive electronic bidding through aTBid. Customer segments fall into three groups: Korean agricultural producers (benefiting from price stabilization), Korean food exporters (using aT's trade platforms and exhibitions), and import quota holders participating in TRQ auctions. Export-related operations are commercially significant — aT-supported K-food exports to Africa and Central Asia reached 841 billion won in 2024, up 20.1% from 576.8 billion won in 2023, with 2025 projected to exceed 1 trillion won. The corporation is wholly government-owned with no private equity or venture capital exposure.

Name

Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade

Legal name

Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation

Website

https://at.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) is a South Korean government-owned public corporation under MAFRA that manages agricultural WTO tariff-rate quotas, government procurement, a network of 32 wholesale markets, and a digital platform ecosystem supporting K-food exporters and domestic producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Agricultural Trade Services

NAICS

Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (42451)

SIC

Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAIAKAL

Import/Export & Cross-Border Food Commodity Trading

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Food Ingredients & Commodities Trading/Wholesale

SECONDARYAFAIAKAA

Grain & Oilseed Trading/Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Food Ingredients & Commodities Trading/Wholesale

SECONDARYAFAIAKAF

Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit Trading/Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Food Ingredients & Commodities Trading/Wholesale

Keywords

• Agricultural trade services
• Government procurement
• WTO tariff rate quota
• K-food export promotion
• Agricultural market information

Headquarters

HQ city

Naju

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Procurement Operations: Operates government procurement and state trading programs for agricultural products including rice, soybeans, sesame, and other commodities through WTO TRQ (Tariff Rate Quota) systems and direct purchases.
2. Export Promotion Services: Provides export support services for Korean food companies expanding into global markets, facilitating K-food promotions and international trade partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) is a government-owned public corporation that manages state trading programs for agricultural commodities including rice, soybeans, and sesame, operates WTO Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) auctions through the aTBid electronic bidding system, stabilizes domestic agricultural supply and prices through government procurement, and provides export promotion services for Korean food companies seeking to enter international markets such as Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North America. It also maintains a portfolio of digital information and B2B platforms supporting agricultural marketing, export information, and wholesale distribution.

Product overview

Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) operates a comprehensive digital platform ecosystem for Korea's agricultural and food distribution sector. The organization provides multiple interconnected platforms covering big data analytics (Nongnet, KADX), market information (KAMIS), export support (KATI, Global Export System), electronic trading (aTBid), B2B marketplace (K-Food Trade), and various specialized services for agricultural products, flowers, fisheries, traditional liquor, and food industry statistics. The portfolio includes both public-facing market platforms and internal operational systems supporting supply chain management, price stability, and international trade promotion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• aTBid (Electronic Bidding System / 비축농산물 전자입찰시스템) Government-operated electronic auction system used for selling reserved agricultural stocks, allocating WTO import tariff-rate quotas, and conducting procurement purchases for commodities such as rice, soybeans, and sesame. Used by commodity traders, importers, and government procurement officials.
• KAMIS (Korea Agricultural Products Marketing Information / 농산물유통정보) Daily wholesale and retail price platform for major agricultural products, providing transaction trends, weekly market reports, and eco-friendly agricultural product distribution information. Serves producers, distributors, and consumers.
• KATI (K-Food Export Information / 농식품수출정보) Export and overseas market development information platform providing import/export news, trade systems, issue reports, and export statistics for Korean agricultural and food exporters seeking to enter global markets.
• Nongnet (농넷) Agricultural and food big data information service providing production, distribution, and consumption data products for producers, distributors, and consumers.
• KADX (Korea Agro-Food Data Exchange / 농식품빅데이터거래소) Agricultural food big data platform providing data products and transaction brokerage services for agriculture, livestock, distribution, consumption, and international trade data.
• K-Food Trade (케이푸드트레이드) B2B trade matching platform providing overseas buyers with Korean agricultural food exporter product promotion, product information, and trade matching services for cross-border procurement.
• KAFB2B (Agricultural Product Online Wholesale Market / 농산물 온라인도매시장) Online wholesale market for agricultural products connecting production areas to consumers with optimized logistics, functioning as a digital alternative to traditional offline wholesale markets.
• Global Export Support System (수출종합지원시스템) Comprehensive export support system providing information on agricultural and fishery food export support projects, application services, and export news for Korean agri-food exporters. Accessible at https://global.at.or.kr.
• APC Information Support System (APC 정보지원시스템) Digital technology platform supporting the agricultural product origin distribution (APC) process to innovate distribution structure and create new value for producers and distributors.
• Public School Meal Integration Platform (공공급식통합플랫폼) Public meal integrated platform activating regional agricultural product consumption and supporting healthy food material purchasing for public demand institutions such as schools.
• Flower Auction Center (화훼유통정보 / 화훼공판장) Flower distribution information system and auction center providing real-time auction information, daily results, and transaction statistics by product and region, along with a flower market facility.
• aT Agricultural & Fishery Distribution Education Institute (aT 농수산식품유통교육원) Professional education institution providing training courses for the food distribution, fisheries, and export sectors, cultivating global distribution talent for Korean agri-food industries.
• Nongjip Export Specialized Farmer Platform (농집 수출전문농가 통합지원플랫폼) Digital-based production and export traceability system for professional agricultural production complexes and member farmers engaged in export activities.
• The Soju (The酒) Traditional Liquor Portal Traditional Korean liquor portal providing traditional brewing industry policy information, mobile brewery services, traditional liquor gallery, and Korean sake introduction for promoting the traditional liquor industry.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (대한민국 문화체육관광부)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Government ministry that organizes K-EXPO USA and other international promotion events. aT collaborates with the ministry to showcase Korean food brands at major international exhibitions.
• Korea Creative Content Agency (한국콘텐츠진흥원, KOCCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Government agency promoting Korean content globally. Partners with aT to integrate K-food promotions with broader Korean cultural content exports at events like K-EXPO USA.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (농림축산식품부)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry overseeing agricultural policy and aT's core mandate. Provides policy direction for food supply stabilization and export promotion programs.
• Nongshim, BBQ, and other Korean food brandsflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Korean food companies that participate in aT-organized international trade events like K-EXPO USA to showcase their products to global buyers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• COFCO Group: China's largest state-owned grain and food trader. Comparable in scale and role as a state-driven agricultural commodities trader managing imports/exports of grains and oilseeds, though with a much broader commercial mandate than aT's policy-driven focus.
• Cargill: Global private agribusiness and commodity trader. Comparable in moving bulk agricultural raw materials (grains, oilseeds) through international supply chains, but operates as a profit-driven incumbent rather than a state policy instrument like aT.

Direct peers

• MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation): Malaysia's national trade promotion agency, focused on Halal exports and emerging-market expansion. Closely comparable to aT's role supporting halal-certified Korean food into Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, including trade-mission and B2B-matching services.
• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Japan's national trade and investment promotion agency. Directly comparable to aT as a government-backed body that supports Japanese food and agricultural exporters in entering emerging and developed markets, runs trade fairs, and provides market intelligence — analogous to aT's K-food export support and K-EXPO participation.
• TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council): Taiwan's national trade promotion council, organizing major food trade shows (e.g., Taipei Food Show) and operating buyer-matching platforms analogous to aT's K-Food Trade B2B marketplace and K-EXPO participation.
• Enterprise Singapore: Singapore's government agency driving enterprise growth and internationalization. Comparable to aT in running export-readiness programs, market-entry advisory, and overseas trade missions for food and consumer-goods companies from a small home market.
• KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency): Korea's other major state trade-promotion agency under the Ministry of Trade. Sister organization to aT within the Korean government that runs overlapping export-support services, trade missions, and overseas buyer matching, including significant food-and-beverage export programs.
• APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, India): India's statutory body for agricultural and processed food exports. Comparable to aT in promoting national food brands globally, providing market intelligence, organizing trade events, and supporting halal-certified and processed-food exporters in new geographies.
• DITP (Department of International Trade Promotion, Thailand): Thailand's state trade-promotion department. Directly comparable as an Asian government body running international food trade fairs (e.g., Thaifex), buyer-matching, and export support programs targeting the same emerging markets that aT is expanding into.

Regional players

• SUSTA (Southern United States Trade Association): U.S. regional agricultural export-promotion association. Comparable in running trade missions, B2B matching, and market-intelligence services for food exporters, though focused on a different geography (U.S. specialty crops) than aT's Korean-focused mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/atwebtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/atatstory
• Instagraminstagram.com/atstory.official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/korea-agro-fisheries-and-food-trade-corporation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade