Vice Minister Niu Dun Meets with Jamaican Agricultural Minister

Source: MOA Department of International Cooperation

May 13-Vice Minister Niu Dun met with the visiting Jamaican Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Christopher Tufton, to exchange opinions on bilateral agricultural cooperation.

According to Minister Tufton, Jamaica is an agricultural state, suffering from shortage of technology and capital. He hoped international cooperation could help to promote his country s agricultural development. China is a major agricultural producer with advanced technologies and equipment that can be drawn upon by other developing countries. The Minister said his visit had confirmed for another time that there was a promising prospect for bilateral agricultural cooperation. The two sides could carry out cooperation in coffee planting and trade, rice planting and processing, micro agro-machinery import and export, sugar cane planting, the production of renewable energy such as ethanol, and the production of cane sugar.

Vice Minister Niu Dun agreed with Minister Tufton on bilateral agricultural cooperation, and proposed four pieces of suggestions: first, to enhance high-level visits and personnel exchange; second, to promote policy and information exchanges through official websites and diplomatic channels; third, to strengthen farmers training to improve their competence; and fourth, to boost cooperation in coffee, rice, sugar cane, agro-machinery and fishery through specific projects. Vice Minister Niu hoped that the Jamaican side could provide fund necessary for the projects, while the Chinese side could provide high-quality varieties, advanced technologies, applicable equipment and excellent work teams, to further cooperation in relevant areas.

The meeting was also attended by officials of Department of International Cooperation, MOA, China, and the Jamaican Ambassador to China.

Date: 14:29 14 May 2010