The delegation headed by Mr. LUO Bing-wen, Vice Party Secretary of CAAS, went to Cuba, Costa Rica and Argentina for a 12-day visit from April 9th to 20th, 2011. They had several bilateral meetings with departments in charge of agricultural technologies in these three nations and visited relevant agricultural research institutes and agricultural cooperatives. They also attended the Argentine agricultural fair.

During the visit in Cuba, the delegation signed the first Memorandum of Understanding between CAAS and Cuba. Vice Secretary LUO pointed out in the meeting that CAAS was willing to step up the cooperation and academic exchanges under the framework of the newly-signed memorandum in areas like crop breeding of rice and corn, biological control, soil improvement and beekeeping. At the same time, he invited Cuban researchers to China to receive technological trainings. He promised that CAAS would help young Cuban scholars apply for Chinese government scholarships so that they can come to study in China.

While in Costa Rica, the delegation had a discussion with Tania Lopez Lee, Rowland Espinosa and Jose Rafael Corrales. They are Costa Rica’s deputy minister of agriculture, deputy minister of technology, and chief of Agricultural Research Institute respectively. The two sides introduced their countries’ current situation of agricultural production and research, and they agreed to enhance cooperation in biotechnology, climate change, integrated control of toxic material and germplasm resources exchange.

When visiting Argentina, the delegation was invited to and attended the grand agricultural fair organized by INTA, with whom the CAAS delegation held in Buenos Aires the first session of China-Argentina Coordinating Committee for agricultural technology cooperation and signed the meeting summary. In the meeting with Argentinean Ministry of Agriculture, they decided to cooperate in key areas like forage grass research and they reached consensus about joint research of breeding techniques of new disease-resistant wheat, techniques of beekeeping and acarus killing, cultivation techniques of rice, corn and soybean.

CAAS signing Cooperation Agreement with the Innovation Division of Cuban Ministry of Agriculture


The Delegation attending the grand agricultural fair organized by INTA
 

The two sides signing the Meeting Summary of China-Argentina Coordinating Committee for agricultural technology cooperation