BEIJING, AUG 18 /DNA/ – “The world can benefit from the agricultural research work being done in Ningxia”, commended Dr. Muhammad Ali Talpur, an economist at the Ministry of National Food Security & Research (MNFSR), in his message to the fifth China-Arab States Expo.
According to a report published by China Economic Net, the expo will be physically unveiled on Thursday in Ningxia Hui autonomous region, a sister province of Punjab, in northwestern China.
Impressed by the modern agriculture of Yinchuan, Ningxia’s capital city, during his visit to the city for the fourth Expo, he anticipates fruitful results from this year’s expo, which will be held both offline and online amid the pandemic. “It is a great forum to share the experience and expand cooperation in the agricultural sector for the betterment of the people in China, Arab, Pakistan, and the rest of the world”.
Apart from a conference featuring modern agriculture to be held on Aug 20th, the Expo also presents green food and smart agricultural technologies in its cloud exhibition, which has attracted thousands of companies worldwide.
Agricultural products in Ningxia, such as goji berry (wolfberry), organic vegetables, honey, milk, etc. have been increasingly popular in the international market. For instance, it is now exporting US$ 60 million of goji annually to over 30 countries and regions.
“I never run out of goji”, said Kassem Tofailli, President of Arab Chinese Cooperation and Development Association (ACCDA) in an exclusive interview with China Economic Net (CEN), with goji right inside his cup. “In the winter, I always have Babao Tea (assorted Chinese herbal tea)”.
After establishing the agricultural technology transfer center between China and Arab countries, Ningxia has set up a sub-center in Pakistan, focusing on building the Islamabad Pavilion of Featured Agricultural Products of Ningxia and cross-border e-commerce service platform to display its high-quality agricultural products and advanced agricultural machinery and equipment.
An online mall has been put in place to promote agricultural trade with neighboring countries. Technical experts have also been sent to Pakistan for agri-technological exchanges. In 2006, Ningxia formed sister ties with Punjab.
It is reported that this is the fifth consecutive time for the Expo to incorporate agricultural cooperation. The past four conferences have witnessed the conclusion of nearly fifty agricultural agreements involving over RMB 1.1 billion.
