President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the importance of research and development (R&D) investment in 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 mentioned that investing in future industries and key technologies such as AI and biotechnology will 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 approximately 35.5 trillion won, the largest ever.
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. This budget aims to address issues such as the aging population in agriculture, labor shortages, and climate crises by enhancing the technological foundation and accelerating technological innovation. The ministry plans to focus its investment on future growth industries such as smart agriculture and green biotechnology.
The ministry’s R&D budget for next year will be used in five major areas: smart agriculture innovation technology, bioresource industrialization, climate crisis response and animal disease prevention, future food industry research, and innovation ecosystem establishment. Additionally, a total of 24.8 billion won has been allocated for seven new projects, including AI-based agricultural transformation technology and intelligent agricultural work collaboration industrialization. These projects aim to apply advanced technologies such as AI, biotechnology, and robotics to agriculture to improve productivity and efficiency.
A ministry official stated that the focused investment in smart agriculture and AI technology reflected in next year’s budget is expected to accelerate agricultural AX, address climate change, and establish a foundation for sustainable agriculture. The official added that the ministry 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.