China Gives USD 30 Million to Boost Agriculture in Developing Countries

China's Ministry of Agriculture has signed a USD 30 million cooperation deal with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve agricultural productivity in developing countries, particularly in Africa. "This historic agreement underlines the importance of the role which China has come to play in the global arena today," said FAO Assistant Director-General José Maria Sumpsi. Sumpsi signed the agreement in Beijing with Chinese Vice-Minister for Agriculture Niu Dun.

The FAO-China fund will have a strong focus in Africa, but will not exclude other regions, the UN agency said, with Beijing releasing USD 10 million a year. China will provide experts to developing countries for technical assistance and training as well as agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds. 

 In 2005, China formalized a strategic alliance with FAO for "south-south" cooperation, in which developing countries help each other through transfer of knowledge, personnel and technologies. FAO said that over 700 Chinese experts have been deployed to all regions of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, since the inception of the "south-south" cooperation program.

Read the press release at http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/10802/icode/