Serving the International issues relevant to Yangling, the only state-level agriculture hi-tech industries demonstration zone in China, the Yangling International Exchange Center (IEC), welcomed 40 participants drawn from various countries for participation in a month-long- training seminar on “National Development Path and Economic Development” in Yangling Shaanxi Province in China.

Agriculture will now be placed as number one engine of economic growth in the East African Community (EAC) integration process. [...] "The Compact is designed to facilitate coordination of regional and cross cutting programmes that complement agricultural programmes and projects at national and regional levels," said the EAC deputy secretary general (Productive and Social Sectors) Christophe Bazivamo.

Gulf nations are seeking to help their firms venture into Kenya in a renewed bid to grab a piece of the local economy and rebuild relations following moments of suspicion. Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted high-level delegations from Qatar and, later, Saudi Arabia, two of the oil-rich Middle East nations that have had mostly bad press in Kenya for suspected mistreatment of Kenyan domestic workers there.

A new digital platform is set to revolutionize how farmers get their goods to market in East Africa. [...] 2KUZE, which means “Let’s Grow Together” in Swahili, is a mobile-to-mobile platform that will help farmers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania find buyers and streamline the system of selling produce.

As Turkey expands its international clout, the country looks to boost its development aid around the world. The state-run Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) leads efforts in this field. The agency recently released a report on its 2015 activities and shows Tunisia, where the agency runs several development projects, was the biggest recipient of TİKA aid with $44.7 million.

The day after he retired in 2006, dairy specialist Archie Devore headed to Russia to help farm operations update their practices. [...] Devore’s trip to Russia was the first of 28 assignments in nine different countries that the Lincoln resident has taken through a U.S. government program that has sent more than 16,000 agricultural volunteers overseas over the past 30 years.

The Embassy of Israel will on Tuesday, March 3 hold breakfast meeting for government officials, agricultural companies, farmers, agro-processors, financial and investment institutions.

Jim Riddle was surprised when he got an email from Iran. The Minnesota farmer, and former chairman of the US National Organic Standards Board, says he was invited to speak at the Second International Organic Agriculture conference in Tehran. Since Riddle had never been to Iran before, he says he wasn't sure if his trip would conflict with US sanctions against Iran. So he checked with the USDA and State Department and he says they told him about some cultural, sports and academic exchanges that are going on. "[It's] kind of like soft diplomacy," he says.