A new exchange programme for young farmers was announced on Friday by Commissioner Phil Hogan and Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China. The project will give Irish young farmers a change to go on study trips to China, while young Chinese farmers and agriculture professionals can visit Ireland and other EU countries.

We need to encourage the next generation of young farmers and rural entrepreneurs to create a food and farming sector fit for the 21st century

It is being jointly funded by the EU and the Chinese authorities. It aims to let young farmers and agricultural professionals from both sides see how they each rise to the challenges of their respective farming sectors.

“In both Europe and China – and indeed anywhere else in the world – we need to encourage the next generation of young farmers and rural entrepreneurs to create a food and farming sector fit for the 21st century,” Phil Hogan said at the launch of the project. “I welcome this opportunity to strengthen the already positive and constructive relations between the EU and China in this area, which I saw during my visit there last year.”

Conference

The project will focus especially on sustainable farming techniques and environmental practices. Through a series of study tours the participants will have the chance to learn from each other’s experience in this area; this will then be translated into recommendations on sustainable farming to be shared with the wider farming and rural community, and with policy makers. The project recommendations will also be shared at a final conference to be organised in China end of 2018.

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