WINDHOEK, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Namibia seeks closer agricultural cooperation with China's Sichuan Province to improve food security and productivity through technology transfer and local investment, the country's agriculture minister said Friday.
Inge Zaamwani, minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform, made the remarks while addressing the Namibia-Sichuan Agricultural Cooperation and Development Conference in Windhoek.
Delegates included representatives of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Zaamwani noted that the conference follows President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's state visit to China in July, which reaffirmed cooperation in agriculture, innovation, trade and rural development.
Namibia is working to shift from predominantly rain-fed farming toward irrigation-driven and climate-smart production, while seeking to unlock the potential of underutilized agricultural land across its 14 regions, she said.
Under its Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-food Sector, Namibia seeks to strengthen research and skills, help farmers adopt suitable technologies and expand local value addition.
Zaamwani encouraged Sichuan-based enterprises and institutions to invest in local assembly, maintenance and manufacturing to build productive capacity, facilitate skills transfer and create jobs.
Cooperation would also cover high-yield seed varieties suited to local conditions, seed multiplication and adaptive crop research, she said.
Exchanges of scientists, researchers, agricultural extension personnel, technicians and students through various initiatives would support skills development, stronger institutions and practical knowledge transfer to farmers, the minister added.
Zaamwani also sought closer cooperation on food safety, biosecurity, quality assurance, animal and plant health and regulatory compliance to help expand agricultural and fisheries exports to China and other markets.
"The success of this cooperation will ultimately be measured not by the agreements we sign, but by the tangible improvements we create in the lives of farmers, agribusinesses, researchers, and rural communities," she added.
