At the invitation of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Ministry of Bahamas and the University of Guelph, Canada, CAAS President Dr. Huqu Zhai led a high level delegation of five people to Barbodos, Jamaica, Bahamas and Canada. Their 12 days visit in the Caribbean countries and America from July 15-26 2009 was a remarkable success. 

CDB is a sub-regional financial institute with 17 borrowing member countries in the region. The Memorandum of Understanding, which identifies areas of cooperation in the field of agricultural science and technology, was signed during the visit. Specific areas in which CDB and CAAS will cooperate include tropical fruits, agricultural production, food safety, agricultural biotechnology, protected cultivation, integrated pest management and water resource management. This cooperation will be facilitated through approaches such as exchange of technical study teams in areas of mutual interest to strengthen administrative, technical and academic staff; organization of meetings, symposia, seminars, workshops; organization of technical training courses; and facilitation and development of projects which benefit CAAS and CDB’s borrowing member countries.

In Jamaica, Dr. Christopher Tufton, the Minister of Agriculture had a heated discussion with Dr. Zhai about the cooperation intention on farming and animal husbandry, agricultural machinery, agri-technology exchange and transfer, germplasm exchange as well as agricultural environmental protection. Dr. Arlington Chesney, President of CARDI and Dr. Zhai signed a MOU on agricultural science and technology cooperation on behalf CARDI and CAAS. 

The delegation was received by Lawrence S. Cartwright, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources and Creswell Sturrup, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in Bahamas. The two sides had an in-depth discussion on specific cooperation areas including assisting Bahamas in the construction of agricultural research demonstration bases within framework of the Cooperation Agreement on Agriculture between China and Bahamas, which was signed during Vice Premier Hui Liangyu’s visit to Bahamas last February. 

The trip to the University of Guelph was quite fruitful. President Zhai and the Vice President of the University Dr. Kavin Hall have reached consensus on launching the China-Canada Scientist Summit, establishing joint research labs and exchanging scholars and researchers. The delegation also attended the closing ceremony of CAAS’s first oversea English training course held in the University. 20 experts engaged in research management from CAAS participated in the 3-month training course to improve their English proficiency and the interpersonal skills in international cooperation. 

Members of the high level delegation include: Dr. Zhang Lubiao, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation; Dr. Shi Zhiguo, Director General of the Department of Finance; Dr. Du Yongchen, Director General of the Institute of Flowers and Vegetables, CAAS and Dr. Yi Zhongyi, Director General of Nanjing Research Institute of Agricultural Mechanization.