On March 25, Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), visited the Coconut Research Institute，Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CRICATAS) for a research inspection. Accompanying him were Huang Sanwen, President of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS); Wang Jiabao, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan Province; Ling Hua, Deputy Secretary of the Wenchang Municipal Committee of CPC and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission; and Hu Wei, Director-General of CRICATAS; Zhu Anhong, Secretary of the CRICATAS Committee of CPC.

                                            Group photo during the research inspection

Director-General Qu Dongyu firstly visited the Date Palm Section of the National Tropical Palm Germplasm Nursery, where he learned in detail about the progress in date palm introduction, trial planting, and related scientific research. He emphasized that CRICATAS has a “glorious mission and significant responsibility” to undertake the work of date palm introduction and trial planting. He hoped that CRICATAS would truly fulfill its duties and missions as a "national team", do a good job in the introduction and trial planting of date palms, further strengthen scientific research and tackle key problems, and provide important scientific and technological support for the development of date palm industry in China and even the world.

Next, Director-General Qu Dongyu visited the Areca Palm Section, Coconut Section, and Oil Palm Section of the National Tropical Palm Germplasm Nursery, examining high-yield cultivation techniques for areca nut, the coconut whole-industry chain development model, and oil palm research progress and industrial applications. He fully affirmed CRICATAS’s the innovative practice in tropical palm crop breeding, efficient cultivation, and green prevention and control of pests and diseases. He hoped that through mechanisms such as knowledge sharing and technology transfer, the research results and rich experience of the CRICATAS in the field of tropical palm crops could promote to all member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

President of CATAS Huang Sanwen stated that Director-General Qu Dongyu’s visit provided strategic direction for enhancing CRICATAS’s scientific innovation and technology transfer. He expressed the hope to leverage FAO’s platform to accelerate international standards for tropical agriculture, contributing “Chinese solutions and wisdom” to global poverty reduction and sustainability in tropical regions. 

Personnel from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan Province, Wenchang Municipal People's Government, and relevant departments of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences participated in the research inspection.

Research inspection on the innovation of science and technology in the areca nut industry

Research inspection on the innovation of science and technology in the coconut industry

 Research inspection on the innovation of science and technology in the oil palm industry