India, China to cooperate in food grain storage sector
17 Jun 2010
India and China, the region's largest food grain producing and consuming countries, have identified the emerging food grain storage sector as a new are of cooperation between the two.
The decision follows the recent visit of an official delegation led by K V Thomas, minister of state for agriculture, consumer affairs, food and public distribution, to China from 7 to 11 June 2010.
Briefing media persons in New Delhi today, the minister said the delegation met officials of China's State Administration of Grain, which is the main agency for coordinating procurement and storage of food grains in China. The delegation also visited the Academy of State Administration of Grain, which specialises in grain quality control and research and is the apex grain-testing laboratory in China.
The minister also met Chinese vice minister of agriculture, Niu Dun, and discussed matters of mutual importance.
The delegation also made field visits to modern food grain storage facilities at Dalian port, Shanghai and Guangzhou and also visited the Dalian Commodity Exchange.
During these field visits, members of the delegation witnessed modern technology being used for silos and flat-type warehouses with climate-control and mechanised handling and interacted with field officials on the storage, temperature control and preservation techniques being employed.
