S. Korea uses FTA to back youth agribusiness startups, expand New Zealand training

Young entrepreneurs will have their agribusiness startup ideas put to the test in New Zealand.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced Wednesday it is running the "2026 Korea-New Zealand FTA Youth Agribusiness Startup Challenger," a program linking domestic startup education, on-site training in New Zealand and post-return commercialization consulting, as part of the agricultural cooperation initiative under the Korea-New Zealand free trade agreement.

Yoon Won-seup, the ministry's agricultural policy director, met with New Zealand Ambassador to South Korea Dawn Bennett at the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday to share updates on the Korea-New Zealand FTA agricultural cooperation project and discuss ways to expand youth agribusiness startups and bilateral exchanges.

The meeting was arranged around the orientation for the 2026 program. The startup challenger is designed to help young people who want to launch businesses in the agribusiness sector experience overseas agricultural environments and markets firsthand, and to test whether their startup ideas can be commercialized.

This year, 34 teams comprising 124 applicants from across the country applied, and 5 teams of 20 people were selected through screening. Participants will receive startup education along with on-site training in New Zealand's agriculture and livestock industries and expert consulting.

At the orientation, Education New Zealand introduced the local agricultural environment and training program, and the participating teams presented their startup plans. Officials from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise provided advice focused on the market viability of the business plans and their potential to develop into global business models.

The selected teams will work with dedicated consultants to refine their business plans and take part in domestic startup education and visits to institutions in New Zealand. After returning, they will receive follow-up consulting to develop their startup ideas into concrete business plans.

The Korea-New Zealand FTA agricultural cooperation project has been carried out under a memorandum on cooperation in agriculture, forestry and fisheries signed in 2015. It has sustained people-to-people and technology exchanges between the two countries through rural youth language training, youth agribusiness startup education, and expert training in agriculture, forestry and livestock.

"The growing number of young people who want to take part in the program each year reflects rising interest in agribusiness startups and entering overseas markets," Yoon said. "We will connect domestic education, the New Zealand on-site program and post-return follow-up support so that young people's ideas can develop into competitive startups in the global market."