S. Korea to send bean seeds to Afghanistan

SEOUL, Dec. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will send 250 kilograms of bean seeds to Afghanistan as part of an international effort to alleviate the country's serious food shortage caused by four years of drought, the government said Sunday.

Five different types of seeds will be offered free as part of Seoul's
contribution to help the people of Afghanistan, the Ministry for Food,
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
The seeds that will be sent late this month were developed by the state-run
Korea Seed and Variety Service and will be tested for the next three years in
Afghanistan, allowing farmers to determine which bean is best suited for the
local soil and climate.
Five million people are estimated to be suffering from the food shortage, with
Kabul asking the international community, including Seoul, for aid to cope with
the emergency.
The ministry said that if the beans are successfully grown, they could contribute
to the health of the Afghan people. The project may also help South Korea export
more seeds to other countries in the future.