National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science
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The National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science (NIHHS) is operating under the umbrella of the Rural Development Administration (RDA), which is one of the Korean government organization. NIHHS is responsible for horticultural and herbal research and services in Korea.
In Korea, the overall value of horticultural and herbal products accounts for about 50 to 60% of the total value of the agricultural products. In the biotechnological era of the 21st century, Korea has become one of the most developed countries in the area of horticultural and herbal science and technology.
Horticulture and herbal plays an important role for the production of safe and healthy food for the people, maintaining clear water, and securing sustainable land for the future.
Dr. U was the founder of the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science . He initiated and established vegetable breeding programs in the early 60s. His efforts lead to the self-sufficiency in the vegetable seed production, and technical advancement in hybrid seed production. Now the vegetable seed is one of important items for export. Due to this historical background, nowadays we have many world-class horticultural scientists and seed technicians working at public and private sectors.
Since 1970s, NIHHS did a leading role in achieving the “White Revolution”, which allowed opulent and the year-round production of horticultural crops under the plastic culture. For these reasons, NIHHS is regarded as the Mecca of various horticultural technologies.
Even in all our glories, we still face troubles and problems. The era of globalization is blooming in the horticultural sector as well, and the Korean horticultural and herbal industry is struggling to cope up with the new international trade environment and challenges.
NIHHS is in the vanguard toward the international competitiveness by further polishing overall strategies for the efficient and environmental-friendly production system. We focus our efforts to play a hub role in the area of horticultural and herbal research. All of our staff will do the best in developing new technologies, which will lead the Korean horticultural and herbal industry to the top level in the world.