President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the importance of research and development (R&D) investment during his ‘2026 Budget Proposal Speech’ on November 4, stating that next year’s budget is the first to usher in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). He highlighted the need to invest in future industries and key technologies such as AI and biotechnology to overcome the low-growth crisis and create a driving force for national growth. The government’s R&D budget for next year has been confirmed at a record high of approximately 35.5 trillion won.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has allocated 261.7 billion won for R&D in the agricultural and food sector for next year, an increase of about 15.5% compared to the previous year. The ministry plans to focus its investment on future growth industries such as smart agriculture and green biotechnology. Key investment areas include smart agriculture innovation technology, industrialization of biological resources, climate crisis response and animal disease prevention, future food industry, and innovation ecosystem establishment.
The ministry has allocated a total of 24.8 billion won for seven new projects, including AI-based agricultural transformation technology, intelligent agricultural work collaboration industrialization, and overcoming intractable diseases in pets. These projects aim to apply advanced technologies such as AI, biotechnology, and robotics to agriculture to enhance productivity and efficiency. At the ‘2025 Agricultural Science and Technology Expo’, Beyond Robotics and Metafarmers showcased AI-based agricultural innovation technologies.
A ministry official stated that next year, R&D investment will be expanded to create new growth engines in the agricultural and food sector linked to national strategic technologies such as smart agriculture and advanced biotechnology. The official added that they will continue to discover R&D areas that can be applied to agriculture, such as AI and renewable energy, and support technologies that meet field demands.