Mauritius: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to modernise the agriculture sector for technical, scientific and developmental cooperation in the field of Tropical Agriculture was signed yesterday afternoon, in Port-Louis, between the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS).
Signatories were the vice-President of CATAS, Mr Guodao Liu, and the Acting Chief Executive Officer of FAREI, Mrs Micheline Seenevassen Pillay. The Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin; the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Mauritius, Mr Zhu Liying; and other personalities were present.
The MoU aims to define the areas for scientific research, capacity-building and technology development in which the Parties desire to cooperate in the future for their mutual benefit. Thus, enabling a collaborative framework between FAREI and CATAS so that both sides can benefit from each other’s initiatives and experience and promote partnership among the scientific, technical and administrative personnel.
In his address, Minister Gobin highlighted that this initiative will open other opportunities in the agricultural area through the extension of cooperation with other islands of the Indian Ocean and other institutions such as the Southern African Development Community.
In addition, he observed that this MoU will help both countries to foster interaction among personnel engaged in scientific research and development areas of mutual interest and find solutions to common issues that both countries face as regards tropical agriculture.
This MoU, the Minister underscored, represents the beginning of cooperation between Mauritius and China in the field of tropical agriculture. He, therefore, expressed hope that this initiative will lead to many other avenues of cooperation between the two countries in the future.
For his part, the Chinese Ambassador indicated that the present launch of cooperation in this area will create a solid agricultural mechanism between Mauritius and China with the objective of strengthening the technological transfer so as to increase the level of professional training and promote Mauritian agricultural products in China.
Furthermore, he stressed that in support of this endeavour and in order to further promote bilateral cooperation, each Party will encourage the exchange of its Programme Officers and research and technical personnel for the purpose of research projects and to get acquainted with the facilities and research culture of the two institutions.
The Ambassador also remarked that agriculture and food security are essential in the world we live in and are key components in the cooperation between China and Mauritius. The CATAS is a reference centre verified by the Food and Agricultural Organization and will play a decisive role in the Chinese cooperation with Africa and Mauritius in the agricultural sector, he added.
Through this MoU, the FAREI and the CATAS agree to: design and realise joint projects; provide capacity building, technology transfer and technical assistance; exchange information and materials related to agriculture, including programmes, publications, expertise and studies’ results; allow the exchange of experts, visits of delegations and trainees; organise workshops, seminars, exhibitions and conferences; provide participation of experts mutually in events and projects; and promote private sector participation and activities through Public Private Partnership initiatives.
Furthermore, cooperation between both Parties may be established within any field of mutual interest related to science, technology as well as policy development, with respect to agriculture in a broader sense, whilst dealing more specifically with, namely: collection and conservation of plant and animal genetic resources; environment protection; breeding and dissemination of improved crop varieties; development and recommendation of sustainable farming systems; control of pests, diseases and weeds in crop farming and; research and development in animal health and production; amongst others.
The CATAS, established in 1954, is the only national research institution in China specially engaged in tropical agricultural research. CATAS has contributed to the improvement of the quality and efficiency of tropical crops through: the breeding of over 300 new, improved varieties of tropical crops; the obtention of 1,600 authorised patents; the issue of 500 agricultural and industry standards; and the development of 300 technological products.
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