China and ICRISAT

Abstract

Ties between ICRISAT and China were established on 2 May 1988, when the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and ICRISAT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). China’s joining the ICRISATcoordinated Cereals and Legumes Asia Network (CLAN) in 1989 set the pace for a long-lasting partnership that has been built and nurtured over the last several years. Seventy percent of China’s population is rural, with agriculture playing an important role in the development of its economy. While the country leads the world in groundnut production, it is also among the world’s largest producers of sorghum and millets. Pigeonpea has gained popularity in the hilly areas of the southern part of the country, and chickpea is grown in southwest China. In general, ICRISAT’s technologies have played a major role in China’s rainfed agriculture