Venezuelan government, and Chinese company assess agricultural cooperation

Venezuelan Minister of Agriculture, Yvan Gil, met on Wednesday with representatives of Chinese company Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Co. Ltd to assess cooperation agreements concerning crop production, livestock, fishing and vegetables.

Gil met with Peng Guangjian, executive president of the Chinese firm, along with other representatives to discuss cooperation on increasing food production in the South American nation.

"We had a very productive meeting today with a company dedicated to the production of seeds for various crops, particularly rice and corn. We have discussed different proposals and a common agenda to sign agreements," said the Venezuelan minister.

Gil added that the firm is one of the most important Chinese companies in this area. "We will begin a very intense cooperation program in the coming weeks covering the training of personnel, research and the commercial development of raw materials to be reproduced in Venezuela."

Gil said that through this cooperation agenda, Venezuela seeks to increase performance rates for cereals, rice, corn, fruits and vegetables like peppers and tomatoes.

A delegation of 11 Chinese firms began a week-long trip to Venezuela on Monday and will meet senior Venezuelan government officials in order to implement bilateral investment projects.

The Chinese delegation is headed by Liang Wengen, founding president of Sany Group, who said that these companies have the " faith and trust" needed to invest in Venezuela. The delegation is set to meet with President Nicolas Maduro before leaving Caracas and sign new economic cooperation agreements in a range of different areas.