China Arab Agricultural Cooperation Transforms Deserts into Oases

Xinhua News Agency, Yinchuan, September 24th (Reporter Zheng Yihan, Jin He, Ai Fumei) "In the process of promoting China's mature agricultural technology to Arab countries, there is a problem of 'acclimatization'. Over the years, we have put in a lot of effort to solve the problem of technology localization, and have achieved the right results." said Zhang Hongen, director of the China Assistance Mauritania Animal Husbandry Technology Demonstration Center.
In recent years, the Mauritanian Animal Husbandry Technology Demonstration Center, jointly invested and assisted by the Ministry of Commerce of China and Ningxia, has successfully planted nearly a thousand acres of forage grass on the edge of the Sahara Desert in Africa, creating an oasis on barren land. The center also shares soil improvement, water-saving irrigation and other technologies with agricultural technicians from countries such as Mauritania, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan, driving the cultivation of over 10000 acres of forage in these countries, becoming a shining business card for agricultural cooperation between China and Arab countries.
The technical cooperation project in the field of animal husbandry has become one of the best cooperation projects between Mauritania and Ningxia, and the successful hosting of the China Arab Expo will promote the development of animal husbandry in both countries. At the 6th China Arab Countries Expo Modern Agriculture High Quality Development Cooperation Conference, the Minister of Animal Husbandry of Mauritania, Ahmed Ould Schein, said in a congratulatory letter.
From September 21st to 24th, the 6th China Arab Countries Expo with the theme of "Joining hands in the new era to seize new opportunities and share a new future" was held in Yinchuan, Ningxia. As an important part of the Expo, the Modern Agriculture High Quality Development Cooperation Conference gathered officials and experts from over 40 countries to discuss agricultural technology, trade and investment, food security, and other fields.
Li Jinxiang, National Chief Veterinary Physician (Officer) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, introduced at the meeting that over the past 10 years, China and Arab countries have continuously strengthened agricultural trade exchanges and deepened agricultural technology cooperation. With the help of platform mechanisms such as the China Arab Summit, the China Arab Cooperation Forum, and the China Arab Expo, China Arab agricultural cooperation has continuously reached new heights.

In 2022, the total trade volume of agricultural products between China and Arab countries exceeded 5 billion US dollars, achieving six consecutive increases. Currently, China has signed agricultural cooperation agreements with 11 Arab countries and established working mechanisms, "said Li Jinxiang.

At the exhibition hall of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the guest of honor of the China Arab Expo, Ibrahim Sharkas, the manager of the Saudi Arabian Tamara Date Production Company, warmly promotes various types of dates. Coconut dates are not only an essential food for Arab families, but also a cultural symbol, "he said. The box of dates he held was quickly swept away by the people who came to try them out.
In recent years, characteristic agricultural products such as dates and oranges from Arab countries are increasingly appearing on Chinese dining tables, and Chinese tea is also highly favored by Arab people. Ibrahim Sharkas stated that the company hopes to use the platform of the China Arab Expo to enter the vast market in China.
The President of the China Association for the Promotion of Ethnic Trade, Lan Jun, told Xinhua News Agency that many regions of Arab countries are in the tropics, and many agricultural products cannot grow. China has excellent agricultural resources, and many agricultural products are needed by Arab countries.
While agricultural trade continues to grow, China Arab agricultural science and technology cooperation and exchange are also becoming increasingly close. The China Arab Agricultural Technology Transfer Center has achieved successful demonstration operations in multiple Arab countries such as Mauritania and Morocco. As of the end of 2022, China has trained nearly 10000 agricultural officials and technical personnel for Arab countries, accelerating the promotion of technology demonstration and knowledge sharing in the country.
Haifa Alkuda, Director of the Local Development Department of the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development, stated that the development process of China's agricultural modernization is amazing, and there is a lot of experience worth learning from in areas such as smart agriculture and desert agriculture. China's experience and technology have greatly helped some countries troubled by freshwater scarcity, drought, and low rainfall to achieve large-scale cultivation of vegetables and grass on sandy land.
Jordan's agricultural development resources are limited, so we attach great importance to research in agricultural technology. We look forward to establishing broader cooperation with China, especially in agricultural technology cooperation, talent training, etc., to achieve complementary advantages in agricultural development between the two countries, "said Haifa Alkuda. (Participating journalist: Cao Changhao)