On Aug 14, Yang Minghong, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Ningxia, announces at a press conference that a conference on modern agriculture cooperation will be held in Yinchuan on August 20. [Photo by Zhang Haifeng/chinadaily.com.cn]
A conference on modern agriculture cooperation, one of the activities of the 5th China-Arab States Expo, will be held in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on August 20. The conference aims to promote high-level technological, investment and trade cooperation in the agricultural field between China and Arab countries, and was announced by Yang Minghong, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Ningxia, at a press conference on Aug 14.
High-end dialogues and keynote speeches on the green and high-quality development of modern agriculture, food security, poverty reduction, international trade, and smart agriculture will be held at the conference, which is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and the People's Government of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Thanks to the platforms of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Arab States Expo, Ningxia has given full play to its unique advantages in agricultural resources, and in recent years has developed in-depth agricultural exchanges and cooperation with Arab countries, as well as with countries and regions participated in the Belt and Road Initiative. In addition to exchanges and visits, the scope of cooperation has expanded to agricultural technology, equipment exhibitions, personnel training, and the trade of agricultural products.
Since 2013, the agriculture cooperation conference has been held during the expo for four consecutive years, with representatives from 80 countries and regions, 50 Chinese and foreign business associations, and over 500 enterprises participating in the events. Nearly 50 investment, trade and cooperation agreements on crop farming, animal husbandry, and facility agriculture have been signed, with a total investment and trade amount exceeding 1.1 billion yuan ($169.84 million).
Yang Minghong, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Ningxia, speaks at the press conference. [Photo by Zhang Haifeng/chinadaily.com.cn]
Ningxia's agricultural products increasingly popular abroad
Through agricultural cooperation, a number of high-quality agricultural products, characteristic agricultural industries, and the agricultural technological achievements of Ningxia and China have been exported abroad and adopted by many foreign countries.
Specialty agricultural products, such as the goji berry, wine, vegetables, livestock products, condiments, and honey, have been sold in the international market, and the export volume has been increasing year by year.
In addition, in its position as the agricultural technology transfer center between China and Arab countries approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Ningxia has established eight overseas sub-centers in Mauritania, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Pakistan and Mongolia.
The sub-center in Mauritania has witnessed the birth of the first cow through embryo transfer technology; the Jordan sub-center has sold Ningxia products to 15 countries and regions in the Middle East and Africa; and the Kyrgyzstan sub-center has built a greenhouse vegetable cultivation test and demonstration base, which effectively relieves the country's winter shortage.
Ningxia has also organized for agricultural enterprises to participate in a variety of agricultural product exhibitions to be held in China and other countries, and has been working on the overseas marketing of Ningxia's characteristic and high-quality agricultural products by means of cross-border e-commerce. The region's agricultural products have, a result of these efforts, gained increasing recognition in the international market.
In addition, in taking the opportunity to build the national grape and wine industry comprehensive pilot zone, Ningxia has established wine industrial exchanges and cooperation with France, Italy, Argentina and other countries, and strives to promote its wines, produced in the East Helan Mountainous Area of Ningxia, to the rest of the world.
Cooperation brings in new foreign agricultural products and technology
Ningxia has attracted new varieties of plant species, new technology, and new equipment from foreign countries throughout the years. Tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, cabbage, carrots, and celery, which are resilient, high quality and easy to sell, store and transport, have all been imported to China.
The vegetable plantation demonstration garden was established to cultivate outstanding varieties, and to make Ningxia a superb demonstration and promotion base for different vegetable varieties.
Well-known foreign enterprises specialized in flower cultivation, beef cattle breeding, wine grape plantations, and the manufacturing of water-saving equipment, have also settled in Ningxia, helping to complete the agricultural industry chain and improve the region's industrial development level.
To ensure high-end milk production, Ningxia introduced high-quality foreign dairy cows and has been working on high-yield dairy cow breeding. It has also developed a high-end beef cattle production base, and established a high-end beef cattle full-industry chain production system in line with local conditions.
Experts and talents provide agricultural technological support for Belt and Road countries
Talents with practical rural skills, and who are specialized in agricultural technology in Ningxia, have been encouraged to work abroad to help facilitate developing countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative in their efforts in poverty alleviation and prosperity, soil desertification control, and animal husbandry development.
Fourteen experts in vegetables, animal husbandry, agricultural machinery, and water conservancy have worked in Mauritania, Angola, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Sao Tome and Principe and provided technical guidance.
Shi Chuntai, a vegetable expert in Ningxia, was given an excellent comprehensive assessment in the foreign aid evaluation implemented by the ministries and commissions of China; and Ren Xueshan, an expert in forage grasses, was awarded the Mauritania's Order of National Merit Medal.
To date, Ningxia has worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and has trained more than 400 agricultural technology and management personnel for over 30 countries, including Namibia, Pakistan, and Sudan. This move helps to promote exchanges in agriculture, strengthen practical cooperation between countries, and broadens cooperation channels in the agricultural area.
