| Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture to visit Brunei Darussalam |
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| Thursday,October 18,2007 Posted: 20:48 BJT(48 GMT) |
| From:Shareen Han (Brunei Times) Article type:Reproduced |
Bandar Seri Begawan - China's vice-minister of agriculture will be making a three-day visit to Brunei Darussalam to enhance bilateral cooperation in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
Niu Dun is scheduled to arrive in the country on October 23 and will hold talks with Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Ahmad Haji Jumat, the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources.
His delegation from China's Ministry of Agriculture is also expected to meet His Royal Highness Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office at the Istana Nurul Iman on October 24, according to an itinerary from the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.
The 52-year-old vice-minister's itinerary also includes attending China's 58th National Day reception at the Empire Hotel and Country Club.
Niu will also make working visits to Hua Ho Agricultural Farm and the Semaun Aquaculture to gain a better understanding of Brunei's agriculture industry.
Tong Xiaoling, the Chinese ambassador to Brunei, will also host a private luncheon for the vice-minister before leaving for China on October 25. Born in Tianshui city in the Gansu province, the vice-minister previously served as the director general of the Ministry of Agriculture's Department of International Cooperation before being promoted to his current post in 2004.
A soil and agriculture chemistry graduate of Beijing Agriculture University, Niu also pursued further studies at the Beijing Language Institute and Germany's Universitaet Hohenheim.
Agricultural activities in Brunei are mainly focused on the production of food commodities, with the value of primary production increasing from $82.56 million in 1996 to $158.98 million in 2005, according to the Brunei's Department of Agriculture website.
Under the Ninth National Development Plan (2006-2010), a total of $128.9 million has been planned for various agricultural development projects to accelerate Brunei's economy. China's agricultural productivity has risen steadily over the years and contributed to the country's economy over the past decade.
China has recently increased the size of its super high-yield rice fields to 5.33 million hectares this year by almost 14 per cent, to meet the food demand for the country's growing population.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
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Bilateral Visits
