China has donated agricultural machineries and test kits, worth USD15,575, to the Maldives. The donation presented by China's Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs was handed to the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare Dr. Aishath Rameela, at the Maldives-Sichuan Trade and Investment Cooperation Conference.
During the conference, Maldives and Sichuan signed an agreement under the name, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science. The agreement was signed by the Director of the Ministry Ali Amir and Chief Agronomist Xu Bin and President of the Academy Mu Jingyi. The agreement seeks to introduce new varieties of fruits and vegetables which can be easily grown in the Maldives, providing technical assistance for cultivation and providing guidance related to modern agricultural technologies which are sustainable.
Under the agreement, Maldives will get the opportunity to participate in discussions, training programmes, workshops and seminars of specialists and scientists in Protected Agriculture. Furthermore, Sichuan will also provide support and assistance to the Maldives to develop the agricultural sector and related fields as well.