On May 27, the launching ceremony of the China-Ethiopia Agricultural Cooperation Poverty Reduction Demonstration Village Project was held in Godino Village, Bishoftu City, Oromia State. Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai, Ethiopian State Minister of Agriculture Meles Mekonnen attended and delivered speeches, and the Chinese Embassy Minister-Councilor Liu Xiaoguang, the Chinese Senior Agricultural Experts Group to Ethiopia, Oromia State government officials, Chinese companies and Godino Village villagers also attended the event.
Ambassador Chen said in his speech that agriculture has always been a key area of cooperation between China and Ethiopia. The two sides have carried out extensive and in-depth exchanges in agricultural technology demonstration, food security, agricultural product trade and human resources cooperation, with fruitful results. The senior agricultural expert group aiding Ethiopia has been rooted in the grassroots of Ethiopia for a long time and has made contributions to promoting the modernization of Ethiopian agriculture. The poverty alleviation demonstration village project is an important measure for China-Ethiopia poverty alleviation cooperation. China will work with all sectors of Ethiopia to fully implement the requirements of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, practice the "Partnership Action for Prospering Agriculture and Benefiting the People", continue to deepen China-Ethiopia agricultural modernization cooperation, strengthen shared cooperation in improved varieties, technology, agricultural machinery, management and other aspects, cultivate Ethiopia's local development momentum, let the results of cooperation benefit thousands of households in Ethiopia, and jointly write a new chapter in the development of agricultural modernization.
Meles spoke highly of the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries, expressed sincere gratitude to China for its long-term assistance to Ethiopia's agricultural development, and said that the demonstration village is a new highlight of China-Ethiopia agricultural cooperation. He looks forward to the two countries' cooperation in the agricultural field to help Ethiopia realize agricultural modernization as soon as possible and benefit more Ethiopian people.
At the event ceremony, China handed over agricultural technical assistance materials to Ethiopia.
The China-Ethiopia Agricultural Cooperation Poverty Reduction Demonstration Village is a key demonstration project of the Chinese Senior Agricultural Experts Group in aid of Ethiopia. It will be jointly built by the agricultural expert group and all parties in Ethiopia. Through measures such as breeding of fine varieties, construction of experimental fields, guidance of demonstration households, and training of leaders in getting rich, it will implement three investment portfolio models of "corn + cattle", "wheat + chicken", and "vegetables + edible fungi", establish a farmers' cooperative, drive local villagers to reduce poverty and increase their income, and promote poverty reduction experience in Ethiopia.