Yangling shares farming solutions with the world

A panel of global experts on Sunday hailed Yangling in Shaanxi province as a hub for innovation in dryland farming and agricultural knowledge-sharing, highlighting how its efforts are critical to strengthening global food security amid mounting climate pressures.

They made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 33rd China Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Fair and the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Agricultural Expo, which have been held jointly for five consecutive years.

The events, which run through Thursday, have brought together stakeholders from 51 countries and regions and more than 2,200 exhibitors to promote technology transfer, training and cross-border agricultural partnerships, benefiting farmers in China and Belt and Road partner countries, according to organizers.

Dubbed China's "Agricultural Olympics", the events draw senior government officials, diplomats and agricultural specialists from Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

A highlight of the opening ceremony was the release of the 2026 China Arid Area Agricultural Technology Development Report, jointly published by the China Rural Technology Development Center, the authorities of the Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone and Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University.

The report highlighted Yangling's growing international significance in dryland agriculture. Arid zones account for 41.3 percent of the world's land area and 65 percent of China's cultivated land. Despite water scarcity, these regions contribute substantially to China's grain, meat and dairy supplies.

Speakers said Yangling served as a testing ground for agricultural innovation and a repository of knowledge on arid-zone farming. Its advances in molecular breeding, digital field management and water-saving agriculture offer practical, replicable solutions for Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states and other Global South countries facing similar challenges related to water scarcity and agricultural production.

Zhai Huqu, former president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told attendees that Yangling had evolved from a regional base into an international hub for agricultural exchanges.

"Using Yangling as our window, we have shared Chinese crop varieties with grain-producing areas in Kazakhstan, cotton-growing regions in Uzbekistan and orchard zones in Kyrgyzstan," he said.

Drawing on agricultural history, Zhai highlighted the benefits of cross-border knowledge-sharing. The introduction of corn, sweet potatoes and potatoes from the Americas centuries ago transformed China's agricultural output and helped support population growth, demonstrating how international agricultural cooperation can deliver far-reaching benefits, he said.

T. R. Midhun, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said the organization's agricultural demonstration base in Yangling had translated exchanges into practical cooperation.

Over the past seven years, the base has organized more than 60 international exchange events, provided in-person training for more than 3,000 agricultural practitioners from SCO member states and developing countries, and reached approximately 10,000 additional learners through online courses.

"The SCO Agricultural Expo has become a multilateral platform for exchanging agricultural technologies and deepening practical cooperation," said Midhun, adding that the SCO Secretariat would continue to support the Yangling base in expanding cross-border agricultural trade and capacity-building initiatives.

Egypt, designated as guest-of-honor for the 2026 event, was represented by Mostafa Ibrahim Elsayad, vice-minister of agriculture and land reclamation.

Elsayad warned that climate change, water scarcity and supply chain volatility were placing growing pressure on global food systems. He said international exchanges of agricultural innovations could help countries build resilience.

"Egypt believes that international agricultural cooperation is a strategic necessity," he said, highlighting opportunities for cooperation between Egypt and China in smart agriculture, irrigation modernization, agricultural robotics and agricultural processing.

Chinese Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Pan Wenbo described the expo as an important regional public platform for disseminating technologies and facilitating business partnerships.

He called on participating countries to strengthen cooperation in food security, agricultural technology, talent development, trade and investment.

lilei@chinadaily.com.cn