2 November 2019

On 30-31 October, 2019, a total of 11 representatives sponsored by the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP-CSAM) from Longshan County, Hunan Province of China visited the 2019 China International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition. The activity was organized by ESCAP-CSAM in collaboration with the Department of International Cooperation and Department of Farm Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). 

The visiting delegation consisted of participants from local authorities, technical service providers as well as agricultural machinery cooperatives in Longshan County. During the two-day visit, participants attended a series of workshops, seminars, forums and related activities conducted at the exhibition, which exposed participants to the latest global agricultural machinery development.

The study tour is a follow-up action after the visit to Longshan County undertaken by CSAM and the Department of Farm Mechanization of MARA in June 2019. In April 2019, ESCAP signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (MARA) with the objective to strengthen the collaboration between ESCAP-CSAM and MARA in support of food security and rural transformation in the Asia-Pacific region through sustainable agricultural mechanization, within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. As one of the collaborative areas between the two parties, CSAM prioritizes its role in contributing to China’s poverty alleviation effort through pragmatic actions including supporting participation of local representatives from poverty-stricken counties of China such as Longshan county in relevant exhibitions and knowledge sharing activities.