An Agri-EPI team, led by Agri-EPI Chair (Willie Thomson) CEO (Dave Ross) and Business Manager (Claire Lewis), have recently returned from a Science and Innovation Network facilitated visit to China. The visit marked the start of an Agri-EPI Centre and the China Rural Technology Development Centre (CRTDC) demonstration project that will bring together both Chinese and UK farming technology.

The visit, superbly co-ordinated by the FCO in Beijing, included visits to Shunyi National Agricultural Science and Technology Park, Xiaotangshan National Precision Agriculture Research, Yanqing National Agricultural Science and Technology Park, China International Technology Transfer Centre /Beijing Science and Technology Commission, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (where Theresa May visited the week prior).

We (jointly and) formally launched the concept of SMARTFARM 1.0, as an exemplar and direct focus for measuring and understanding agricultural productivity in China. This farm-based initiative (near Beijing) is also intended to be a base from which UK companies can show and market products for the vast Chinese market, as well as view Chinese technologies.

You can find out more about the smart farm approach here.

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