South Korea’s agricultural cooperative federation has launched a nationwide series of regional forums to refine its 2026 livestock industry education program, beginning with a meeting in Daejeon on April 22, 2026. The initiative, led by NongHyup Agribusiness Group’s Livestock Economy division, aims to strengthen collaboration between agricultural cooperatives and livestock farming stakeholders as part of broader efforts to modernize training systems for industry professionals.
The forum held at Daejeon Station’s KTX Wooam Hall brought together officials from livestock education operating institutions across the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions. According to verified reports from Farm Insight, the gathering focused on aligning educational operations with updated policy directions for 2026, improving both in-person and online training delivery, and enhancing the use of the organization’s education information system. Participants also reviewed preliminary survey findings to identify shared challenges and engaged in open discussions on potential improvements to the training framework.
An Byeong-woo, who has served as president of NongHyup Agribusiness Group’s Livestock Economy division since 2022, emphasized during the event that direct engagement with field practitioners is essential for building effective and responsive education programs. With over four decades of experience in South Korea’s livestock sector — including prior roles as head of livestock consulting and management divisions at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, president of NongHyup Feed, and head of the Livestock Business Division at NongHyup Agribusiness Group — An has positioned sustainable and profitable livestock farming as central to his leadership agenda.
The Daejeon session marked the first of three planned regional forums, with subsequent events scheduled for Seoul (serving the Capital, Gangwon, and Jeju regions) and Busan (covering the Yeongnam region). Organizers anticipate approximately 150 participants from livestock education institutions and related agencies across the country to attend the full series. The cooperative stated that insights gathered from these meetings will be used to improve the practical relevance and operational efficiency of its livestock farming education initiatives.
NongHyup Agribusiness Group, the economic arm of Korea’s National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, oversees a wide range of agribusiness activities through its 13 subsidiaries. These include support for crop and livestock farming, as well as the domestic production, distribution, and sale of agricultural and livestock products. In recent years, the organization has promoted sustainable farming practices, including incentives for livestock farmers to cultivate summer forage crops such as whole-crop rice and corn instead of rice paddies during off-seasons, aiming to stabilize feed supply and improve farm income resilience.
As part of its broader strategy to strengthen the domestic livestock industry, NongHyup has also invested in advancing Hanu (Korean native cattle) breeding programs. In April 2026, the organization formalized agreements with 15 regional livestock cooperatives to expand the production and distribution of high-quality breeding embryos and to support the development of elite Hanu cow lineages through improved genetic data utilization.
The regional forums represent a continuation of NongHyup’s commitment to incorporating frontline feedback into its agricultural education and support services. By maintaining open channels with livestock farming cooperatives, trainers, and rural development officials, the cooperative seeks to ensure that its 2026 education initiatives are not only compliant with national policy updates but also responsive to the evolving technical and economic needs of livestock farmers across South Korea.
Further details about the upcoming Seoul and Busan forums, including exact dates and registration information for livestock education professionals, are expected to be released through NongHyup Agribusiness Group’s official channels in the coming weeks. Stakeholders interested in updates on livestock training programs, policy changes, or cooperative-led agricultural initiatives are encouraged to consult the federation’s verified communications platforms.
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