A government delegation from the Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, located in China’s leading agricultural city, visited Westland on Friday, July 19. Mayor Bouke Arends and Li Jiuhong, deputy director of the Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, signed a letter of intent to establish a friendly horticultural alliance in the fields of education, research and cluster development. Afterwards, the delegation was introduced to Dutch Greenhouse Delta, World Horti Center and various greenhouse horticulture companies. The parties discussed future cooperation at the agri-park and how the exchange of technology and knowledge can be further developed.
Mayor Bouke Arends and Li Jiuhong, deputy director of the Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, signed a letter of intent to establish a friendly horticultural alliance in the fields of education, research and cluster development. (Photographer: Rolf van Koppen)
Yangling is located in central China, near the city of Xi’an, and is regarded as a breeding ground for Chinese agricultural and horticultural developments. In 1993, the modern Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone was established here. The city is also home to three leading agricultural universities where some 7,000 researchers work on 70 different themes.
(Photographer: Rolf van Koppen)
The delegation is the first to visit Westland from Yangling and is the follow-up to a trade mission in 2018 organised by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and led by Minister Carola Schouten. During this mission, representatives of the Municipality of Westland presented the Westland cooperation model (cluster to cluster), which was received with great enthusiasm by Yangling city officials. The letter of intent signed today signifies a commitment by all parties to develop a friendly and cooperative relationship.
(Photographer: Rolf van Koppen)
On behalf of the Municipality of Westland, Dutch Greenhouse Delta will be the point of contact for shaping further cooperation. Eric Egberts, CEO explains: “China is one of Dutch Greenhouse Delta’s focus countries. As a consortium, we want to bring our knowledge and expertise in the field of greenhouse horticulture to help find a solution to the world food problem. The Yangling Agricultural Zone is the first national-level agricultural demonstration park in China and serves as an important landing ground for us. It also plays host to the China Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Fair and we are invited to participate along with our strategic partners. In China, Yangling leads the way in food safety and is the only free agricultural trade zone. We are delighted that with this letter of intent the Municipality of Westland formally supports cooperation between Yangling and Westland, thereby creating a springboard for further business development.”
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