The Chinese government expressed its intent to provide the services of at least 3,000 experts and technicians over a six-year period to help improve the productivity of small-scale farmers and fishers in developing countries, under an agreement signed in Jakarta Thursday with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Under the agreement signed by Chinese Deputy Agricultural Minister Zhang Baowen and FAO Director General Jacques Diouf, Chinese specialists with practical expertise in irrigation, agronomy, livestock, fisheries, post-harvest handling and other fields would be gradually deployed for three-year assignments over a total period of six years.

The recipient countries would be jointly selected from a list of potential beneficiaries provided by the FAO, according to the agreement.

The FAO-China collaboration is part of FAO's South-South Cooperation initiative, which aims to strengthen cooperation among developing countries at different stages of development to improve agricultural productivity and ensure access to food for all.

China has been a major provider of South-South Cooperation experts and already signed agreements with Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria, as well as with 14 small island countries under regional programs.

Source: Xinhua