In a bustling showcase of agricultural diversity, Taourghist Abdessamad, owner of the “XTRA” hypermarket in Morocco, found himself captivated by the array of agricultural products at the 9th Sichuan Agricultural Expo, which concluded on Monday in Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan Province.
“I initially expected to find basic agricultural staples like wheat and soybeans, but I was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of agricultural commodities on display. I am particularly drawn to the local green tea and plan to establish contact with a Chinese tea company to procure samples for my homeland,” he enthused.
Running from October 27 to 30, the expo covered an impressive 140,000 square meters, drawing participation from 3,000 enterprises from both China and various foreign nations. Representatives from international companies actively sought collaborations with Chinese agricultural counterparts.
According to the event organizers, several foreign countries, including the United Kingdom, Nepal, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, and Italy, organized special activities during the exhibition. Many foreign representatives present at the expo demonstrated a keen interest in China’s western agricultural products market.
Kulager Abdecho Degaga, hailing from Ethiopia, introduced visitors to coffee beans from his homeland, personally brewing coffee for them to savor.
“My company has been engaged in trade with Chinese firms for over a decade. Initially, we primarily imported agricultural machinery from Shandong Province to African nations. However, as I became more acquainted with China, I noticed a growing preference among young Chinese for coffee consumption. In 2016, we initiated the export of Ethiopian coffee and sesame to China, and last year, our sales reached an impressive $150,000,” he shared.
This year’s expo featured a dedicated “Belt and Road” agricultural cooperation pavilion, aimed at fostering exchanges and cooperation among enterprises from “Belt and Road” partner countries in the agricultural sector, encompassing agricultural industries and the import-export of agricultural goods.
At the Pakistan National Pavilion, where Pakistan held the distinguished position of being the expo’s guest of honor, He Xiaoyan, head of an international trade company in Sichuan, meticulously examined over a dozen rice varieties showcased by Pakistan AMIR Rice Import & Export Company.
“I formerly operated a foreign trade business in northeast China, and this year, I relocated my company to Chengdu,” He remarked. “Western China boasts abundant agricultural resources, and the agricultural product market in Sichuan shows great promise. Moreover, the China-Europe freight trains that traverse this region connect to numerous ‘Belt and Road’ partner countries, offering unparalleled convenience. This serves as a potent catalyst for agricultural product imports and exports in China’s western region.”
Chinese enterprises are eagerly embracing the opportunity to enhance their agricultural product sales in the international arena through the expo.
Cui Bingqian, deputy general manager of Zhejiang Beilai Chaxiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., revealed their strategic shift to capitalize on the Belt and Road Initiative. The company, once primarily focused on traditional tea, has intensified its investment in research and development.
This year, they unveiled a novel product, freeze-dried tea, tailored for the global market, marking a significant expansion of their product portfolio, as Cui proudly announced.
