Letter on Matters Concerning the Implementation of the “International Agricultural Science and Technology Experimental Demonstration Project”

In order to promote the cooperation and exchange of modern agricultural science and technology between China and the member states of the SCO and the countries along the “Belt and Road” initiative, we are now soliciting funds from domestic universities, research institutes, and agriculture-related enterprises for new agricultural species and technologies that intend to be demonstrated and promoted overseas. Details are as follows.
　
1. Project Background

The SCO Demonstration Base for Agricultural Technology Exchange and Training (hereinafter referred to as “SCO Agricultural Base”) is located in the Shaanxi Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone (hereinafter referred to as “Yangling Demonstration Zone”). It is an international agricultural exchange and cooperation organization initiated by the Chairman Xi Jinping at the Shkek Summit of the SCO Heads of State in 2019 and approved by the member states of the SCO. Its main function is to carry out agricultural exchanges, training and demonstrations among SCO member states, and promote economic and trade exchanges.
Yangling Demonstration Zone is China’s first national-level Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone. It has the national mission of promoting agricultural development in arid and semi-arid areas and implements a special provincial-ministerial joint construction system. At the same time, it has the only agricultural free trade area and comprehensive agricultural bonded area in the country, and undertakes the mission of “comprehensively promoting international cooperation and exchanges in the agricultural field and building a modern agricultural international cooperation center for the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’".
The agricultural science and education resources in the Yangling Demonstration Zone are highly concentrated. There are many universities and research institutes such as Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University. It has more than 70 scientific research platforms above the provincial and ministerial level and nearly 7,000 agricultural science and education talents, covering five major disciplines in the field of agriculture, forestry and water. Since its establishment more than 20 years ago, it has built a total of 350 demonstration and promotion bases in 18 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, with a demonstration and promotion area of about 6666666.67 hectares. Overseas, a total of 14 overseas agricultural science and technology demonstration parks and industrial parks have been built in seven countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, covering a total area of 41333.33 hectares.

2. Basic conditions
(1) Project unit. The project is managed by the SCO Agricultural Technology Exchange Training Demonstration Base Office and the Yangling Demonstration Zone Modern Agriculture and Rural Revitalization Bureau. Yangling Modern Agriculture International Cooperation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yangling International Cooperation Company”) is responsible for its organization and implement.
(2) Project duration. 2022-2024, a total of 3 years.
(3) Basic objectives. For colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, and agriculture-related enterprises that intend to carry out agricultural science and technology cooperation and exchanges overseas and market development, the project selects more than 30 new agricultural species or new technology equipment every year, and subsidizes them to test, demonstrate and promote in corresponding overseas parks or other target countries, carries out international cooperation and exchange in agricultural science and technology, and drives domestic agricultural varieties, technologies and equipment to “go global”, promoting agricultural investment and trade between China and the country where it is located.
(4) Project content
1. The selected species or technologies, according to the specific needs, will be subsidized for the whole process of testing and demonstration abroad, including land use, daily management and maintenance, etc. It , mainly international logistics costs, land rent costs, daily management and maintenance costs, etc. The subsidy for a single project amount shall not exceed 300,000 yuan. The ownership of project test and demonstration results belongs to the project applicant.
2. Encouraging and supporting project applicants to rely on overseas agricultural parks to build international joint laboratories and carry out international scientific and technological cooperation; supporting project applicants to enjoy priority in the support policies of Yangling Overseas Warehouse, Overseas Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center, and Comprehensive Bonded Area with Agricultural Characteristics; assisting the project applicant in conducting commercial activities such as product promotion and development of cross-border contract agriculture in overseas markets.
(5) Implementation period

(1) Collection time for new species
1. Collection time for trial planting of new species in autumn and winter: May to June every year.
2. Collection time for trial planting of new species in spring: September to January of the following year.
3. Collection time for solicitation of new species trial planting in African agricultural parks: May to September every year.
(2) Collection time for new technology (equipment) 
From January to December every year.
3. Other matters
The project applicant shall fill in the application form as required, and attach the project legal person business license and other corresponding certificates as required. After the project is selected, Yangling Modern Agriculture International Cooperation Co., Ltd. will sign a pilot demonstration cooperation agreement with the project applicant to start the project.
Contact: Yangling Modern Agriculture International Cooperation Co., Ltd. Overseas Project Department
Contact address: Room 216, 2nd Floor, Free Trade Office, No. 9, Sub-1, Youtai Road, Yangling Demonstration Zone, Shaanxi Province

Application hotline: 029-87030196.
Application WeChat: nihaowzg.
Attachment: “Application Form for International Agricultural Science and Technology Experimental Demonstration Project”

June 2, 2022