Agricultural ministers from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have agreed to strengthen collaboration as they seek shared solutions to food security and other common challenges.
The 10th SCO Agricultural Ministers' Meeting, held in Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan in southwest China, from July 30 to 31, brought together officials and researchers from more than 10 member states, observer states and dialog partners. Participants held extensive discussions on rural development, poverty reduction and technological exchange.
Participants visited a modern flower cultivation base in Kunming, the country's largest hub for fresh-cut flower production.
From daily care to sorting and logistics, smart technologies are applied throughout the entire process, which impressed guests.
This is just one of the key themes at the meeting: using technology to drive agricultural growth. The event also held extensive discussions on rural development and poverty reduction.
"In context of food security, I think it's going to be a very essential part to be played by SCO agriculture sector, because we have many things in common, many things which is not common. So We need to sit down and work together on the technologies that are going to be climate resilient," said Sohail Khan, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Khan added that the SCO is an important organization for solving many pressing issues at the regional level.
Agriculture is a key pillar of the SCO economies, with each country offering its own strengths and facing diverse challenges.
Since the launch of the ministerial meeting mechanism 15 years ago, agricultural collaboration has expanded significantly, particularly in talent cultivation, trade and investment.
A notable example is the Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industry Demonstration Zone in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Since the establishment of an SCO technology exchange and training base there in 2010, Chinese experts have trained more than 50,000 professionals from SCO countries and helped build 14 industry demonstration parks abroad.
Han Jun, Chinese minister of agriculture and rural affairs, said at the meeting that China's agricultural trade with SCO member states reached 18.6 billion U.S. dollars -- a 3.8-fold increase from 2010.
Han said China is ready to leverage the Yangling base to expand digital agriculture training, promote technology sharing and strengthen talent development.
"We will establish a cooperation mechanism involving multiple parties and with multiple beneficiaries, and promote the voluntary exchange of germplasm resources and make greater efforts to boost research, development, and extension of advanced technologies from water-saving farming and biological breeding to smart agriculture, livestock, poultry and aquaculture, and deep processing of agricultural products," said the minister.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint statement, with participants expressing hope to enhance mutual learning. "India has also launched digital agriculture mission, where we have lots of possibilities and lots of new things we can do. We want to make further cooperation with all the member nations, in the field of research, in the field of technology, in the field of germplasm," said Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, joint secretary of India's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Sohail Khan emphasized transportation and logistics as the top priorities for enhancing collaboration.
SCO agricultural ministers meet in Kunming
SCO agricultural ministers meet in Kunming
