On 16-21 September, Prof. Zhou Xueping, Director General of Institute of Plant Protection (IPP), CAAS, and Dr Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director of Global Operation, CABI, jointly led the MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory senior delegation to visit Pakistan.  Fruitful and constructive meetings were held with Ministry of National Food Security & Research (MNFS&R) and CABI Central and Western Asia Centre (CWA) to discuss the priority areas and a coordination mechanism for cooperation, which also led to a tripartite agreement on Joint Collaboration Activities to implement the signed MoU between IPP-CAAS, MNFS&R and CABI.

During the visit, the Joint Laboratory delegation held consultation meetings with key officials and experts from CABI CWA, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Provincial ARCs, Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Department of Plant Protection (DPP), respectively. The delegation also made an on-site visit to BARI field experimental station.  During these meetings, Prof. Zhou introduced the scientific research organization and progress of IPP-CAAS. Representatives of Pakistani institutes briefed the current R&D situation and country needs in the field of plant protection. Dr. Kuhlmann explained the cooperation between CABI, China and Pakistan, and highlighted CABI’s liaison role in China-Pakistan cooperation. All the parties discussed and identified the priority areas for collaboration and action plans, including Capacity Building， Technology Transfer and Joint Research.

In the end of the visit, the delegation had meetings with HE Minister of MNFS&R Mr. Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan，Federal Secretary Mr. Muhammad Hashim Popalzai, and Additional Secretary Mr. Muhammad Ayub Chaudhry, respectively. IPP-CAAS, MNFS&R and CABI exchanged opinions and reached consensus on the priority areas for collaboration and action plan, agreed on a coordination mechanism for cooperation and signed a tripartite agreement on joint collaboration activities. Prof. Zhou also planted a friendship tree at CABI CWA and received a Certificate from CABI.

This visit to Pakistan is a follow-up action of the Cooperation Agreement on the Transboundary Pests Monitoring, Prevention and Control under the Belt and Road Initiative. It is conducive to understand the occurrence, spread and outbreak mechanism of transboundary crop pests between China and Pakistan, to research and develop new technologies for forecasting, monitoring and green control, to develop full-chain and integrated pest management technologies, and therefore to realize sustainable management of transboundary crop pests.

The delegation members also included Prof. Chen Julian, Director of Dept. International Cooperation and Graduate Students, Prof. Wang Zhenying, Leading Scientist of Maize Insect Pests Research Group, Assoc. Prof. Yang Nianwan, Dept. of Biological Invasions, and Dr. Zhang Feng, Regional Director of CABI East Asia.

MNSF&R-meeting with Minster

Ceremony of planting a friendship tree at CABI CWA

By Chen Julian(chenjulian@caas.cn)