Beijing (ESCAP news) – A series of events supported by the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) enhanced regional trade and investment of agricultural machinery, promoted youth innovation in sustainable agricultural mechanization through university students and advanced poverty alleviation in the region.
The events were held in conjunction with the China International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition (CIAME) in Qingdao, China from 29 October to 2 November. They comprised of the 5th Training and Study Tour for Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors of the Regional Council of Agricultural Machinery Associations in Asia and the Pacific (ReCAMA), a donation of agricultural machinery to Yilong County and Guang’an County and support for youth teams to participate in the China Agricultural Robot Competition.
Ms. Li Yutong, Head of CSAM said, “We at CSAM firmly believe in putting partnerships at the core of our work. We are pleased to join hands with governments, universities, the private sector, civil society and other United Nations entities to enhance the scale and impact of programmes to promote sustainable agricultural mechanization in the Asia-Pacific region, thus contributing towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
The training and study tour of ReCAMA opened on 29 October, gathering national agricultural machinery associations to facilitate dialogue and information exchange. To promote cooperation, CSAM co-organized the meeting with the China Agricultural Machinery Distribution Association, China Agricultural Mechanization Association and China Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers.
Following the opening, CSAM facilitated the donation of agricultural machinery by the private sector to relevant stakeholders in the poverty affected Yilong County and Guang’an county in Sichuan province. A ceremony for the machinery donation was held, marking shared commitment to advancing rural development through sustainable use of agricultural machinery.
CSAM also supported representatives and leaders of the local farming community from Longshan—a poverty-affected county in Hunan Province of China—to convene at CIAME, promoting exposure to cutting-edge agricultural machinery and equipment.
Three university teams from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were supported by CSAM to participate in the China Agricultural Robot Competition from 30 to 31 October. Under the theme of orchard fruit harvesting and transportation, the 2019 Competition explored how agricultural robots can support the tasks of harvesting and transporting fruits. This support is one of the CSAM initiatives to promote the engagement of youth in sustainable agricultural mechanization as a means to encourage innovation and address the problem of an ageing agricultural workforce faced by many countries in the region.
For more information visit: www.un-csam.org
For media enquiries please contact:
Ms. Feng Yuee, CSAM, T: +86 13701015840, E: fengyuee@un-csam.org