A training course on the extension of agricultural technology
for African officials, held by the Ministry of Agriculture, opened
in Beijing on Wednesday.
A total of 35 agricultural officials from 21 African countries
attended the training course, which was billed as the "2007
International Agro-Tech Extension Seminar for Africa."
The course will include lectures on genetically modified cotton
and seed production technologies and the use of water-saving and
biological technologies in agriculture.
"The seminar offers us a unique opportunity to understand how
the Chinese do their work and how we do it, which areas we can
improve. Our institute and the country will benefit from it ... and
we'll be able to help our people," said Lagu Charles from Uganda's
National Agriculture Research Organization at the opening
ceremony.
Mohamed Salah, from the Egyptian Agricultural Ministry, said
Egypt and China cooperated in several fields, especially in food
security, animal production, animal health and plant protection.
"We hope (to see) more cooperation between China and different
countries in Africa," he said.
Agricultural cooperation was one aspect of the eight steps to
offer major assistance and strengthen investment, trade and other
key cooperation projects with Africa, announced by President Hu
Jintao at last November's China-Africa summit.
China will set up ten special agricultural technology
demonstration centers in Africa and send 100 senior agro-tech
experts to help with Africa's agricultural development.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Agriculture had
jointly sent five working groups to 14 African countries to make
investigation for the setting up of agricultural technology
demonstration centers and had worked out the plan of sending
agricultural experts, which will be carried out in the next half of
the year, according to sources with the Ministry of Commerce.
The first agricultural technology demonstration center was
launched in Mozambique in February.
(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2007)
