China hands over agriculture technical demonstration project to Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday handed over an Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center to Ethiopia in a ceremony held on the premises of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Ethio-China Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center project aided by the Chinese government was carried out by Guangxi International Construction Engineering and Guangxi Bagui Agricultural Science and Technology between January 26, 2011 and April 30, 2012.

The project has been done in Ginchi town of Oromia regional state in western Ethiopia and will be a technical cooperation center between the Chinese and Ethiopians in the agriculture sector.

Handing over the project to Wondirad Mandefro, Ethiopian State Minister of Agriculture, Xie Xiaoyan, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, said the completion of the construction of the center is a beginning to the technical cooperation carried out between China and Ethiopia in the coming three years.

The ambassador noted the center is a very important project as it is essentially linked to the issue of food security and increasing agricultural productivity.

Reiterating the project is the joint fruit of the Chinese and Ethiopians over one and a half years, the ambassador said it would be a center for cooperation between the two countries in the agriculture sector.

"I am sure the joint team will work together very closely as brothers and sisters to achieve the next important goal which is the technical cooperation between china and Ethiopia," Xie said.

"This will further expand our cooperation between the two countries and the two peoples which will bring mutual benefit to the two sides," he said.

Wondirad Mandefro said the successful completion of the construction of the center by the Chinese demonstrates the deepening of the cooperation between the two countries in the agriculture sector.

"This is the landmark for the Ministry of Agriculture to deepen our cooperation in the agricultural sector for rural development and agricultural extension system. Our partnership is also widening not only in the rural development and the small-holder farmer but also in the investment venture," he added.

Wondirad also expressed belief that the project would bring more investment opportunities from china to Ethiopia in order to exploit and develop the natural resources in the agriculture venture.