Chinese agric experts arrive in Zimbabwe

A 15-person Chinese delegation is in the country for feasibility study on possible areas of co-operation in agriculture.

The delegation includes experts in grain crops, environment, agriculture produce processing and livestock among others from the Ministry of Agriculture in China and the private sector.

Speaking after meeting Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made and his deputies Mr Paddy Zhanda and Mr Davis Marapira, along with heads of agricultural departments in Harare yesterday, head of the delegation Mr Yang Yi praised Sino-Zimbabwe ties.

"We had a fruitful meeting and we have reached a consensus on areas of co-operation in agriculture.

"Zimbabwe and China have worked together in agriculture and produced positive results during the past years. This time we are going to carry out a further study on more areas of co-operation," he said.

Dr Made said the delegation's areas of specialisation covered the entire agriculture sector.

"It ranges from livestock, cropping and to the technological side in terms of what we have built in relationship to the demonstration centre at Gwebi Agricultural College," he said.

He said further co-operation would include machinery and equipment that related to mechanisation and irrigation development.

"We would want to see the strategic issues that also relate to markets and the agro-industry in relation to the Zim-Asset document," he said.