THE Huai’an City of China’s Jiangsu’s Province has gifted crucial equipment to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) and Malaita Province.

The equipment, which included rice transplanters, rotary tillers, tractors, digital greenhouse equipment, rice milling machines, water and sewage pumps and agricultural sprayers, computers and digital monitoring equipment, are expected to help boost operational management and technological development within MAL and further enhance its capacity to serve the agricultural sector and also Malaita Province in developing its agricultural infrastructure.

The handing over ceremony was held at the JQY Warehouse at Lungga-Henderson Crossroad in Central Guadalcanal on Friday.

It was officiated by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Solomon Islands, Cai Weiming, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Derek Wasi, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Secretary Simon Baete, Malaita Provincial Premier Elijah Asilaua and Malaita Provincial Secretary Eric George.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Cai said the handing over ceremony was not only the implementation of the outcome of the Jiangsu Provincial Government delegation’s visit to Solomon Islands three months ago but overall, a manifestation of the cooperation and friendship between China and Solomon Islands. 

On that note, he expressed appreciation for the hard work ensured by MAL and the Malaita Provincial Government in successfully accomplishing the customs clearance for the entry of these equipment from China into Solomon Islands.

Ambassador Cai said among these donated items are agricultural equipment that will help Jiangsu Province to set up an agricultural demonstration center in the country and thereby foster the introduction of more suitable crop seeds and technologies to help improve agricultural productivity and safeguard food security.

He said these donated items also include material for Malaita Province, which are provided under the three-year cooperation plan it signed with China’s Jiangsu Province. The cooperation was signed with the Malaita Provincial Government by a visiting delegation from the Chinese province three months ago.

Ambassador Cai said the donations will be utilized to implement the work plan under the cooperation framework to help Malaita Province develop its agricultural infrastructure.

He said China is a country with a huge population that is heavily reliant on agriculture and during the past decades, it has accumulated experience and technologies for greater agricultural production and advancement.

Ambassador Cai said as a genuine friend and close brother to Solomon Islands, China is willing to share not only its agricultural experience and technology but also its agricultural market.

He said during Prime Minister Manele’s visit to China in July this year, three Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) protocols on coffee beans, cocoa beans, cultured aquatic products and wild aquatic products were signed.

Ambassador Cai also said last month, the Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will give all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) it has diplomatic relations with zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines.

He said these tariff lines will help boost Solomon Islands export to China and bring more foreign receipt earnings for Solomon Islands.

In his speech, MAL Minister Wasi hailed the assistance, saying the government and people of Solomon Islands are deeply grateful to the government and people of Huai’an City for recognizing the importance of strengthening Solomon Islands agricultural infrastructure.

He said these donations are more than just a transfer of tools but an investment in the shared vision of sustainable development, food security and poverty alleviation.

Minister Wasi stated that these donations are a testament to the enduring friendship and cooperative spirit between China and Solomon Islands.

“The tools we are receiving today such as rice trans-planters, rotary tillers, tractors, digital greenhouse equipment and more will significantly bolster our local agricultural capacity, modernize our [farming] practices and ultimately improve our livelihoods of our farmers and communities.

“In particular, the rice milling machines, water and sewage pumps, and agricultural sprayers will directly contribute to enhancing food security and production efficiency.”

Furthermore, Minister Wasi said the provision of computers and digital monitoring equipment will support both operational management and technological development within MAL and further enhance its capacity to serve the agricultural sector. 

Premier Elijah Asilaua, in turn, expressed acknowledgement on behalf of the people of Malaita Province for the assistance from a city of the province’s Chinese Sister Province.

He said the donated tractors, farming management equipment, office computers and their accessories together with material to beautify the Auki township are a positive outcome of the friendship between Malaita and Jiangsu.

Premier Asilaua said these assistances are the second stream of donations to Malaita from Jiangsu under their Sister Relationship and the existing cordial diplomatic relations between Solomon Islands and China.

Located in the center of north Jiangsu Province, Huai´an is an important city along the Grand Canal, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage property. 

Huai´an holds an important place as the origin of Huaiyang Cuisine, one of the four major traditional cuisines in China. 

Famous for its Xuyi crayfish and Hongze Lake hairy crab, the city’s gastronomy combines aspects of agriculture, aquaculture, central kitchen production initiatives, to food processing, catering services, culinary training and eco-tourism. 

The city hosts a group of premier league colleges and R&D platforms in China in the field of food and cooking and is home to over 20,000 catering enterprises that have generated a significant number of employment opportunities. 

The city also has an extensive repertoire of food exhibitions, festivals, conventions, and competitions. Huai´an has always believed that all citizens should enjoy and benefit from the results of urban development.

By IAN LADDS OSO

Solomon Star, Honiara