Over the weekend, days 4 – 6 have been filled with a combination of cultural experiences and transitions for the delegation team members as they continue with Lt. Governor Ellspermann on Indiana’s agriculture trade mission in China.
Taking the opportunity to experience local cultural activities, on Saturday, June 27 the group began their day by traveling to visit the world famous pandas at the Dujiangyan Research Center for Giant Panda Breeding and Releasing, part of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The delegates were able to view the magnificent animals throughout what is touted as the only giant panda care, disease prevention and control institute in the world.
Enjoying the local and international tourist attraction, the delegation spent Saturday afternoon exploring the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, built in 256 BC and to this day controls the waters of the Minjiang River as the only non-dam irrigation system still in use in the world.
On Sunday, Lt. Governor Ellspermann and Bill Konyha, Executive Director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) separated from the full delegation over the weekend traveling to Qingdao where they met with Qingdao Foreign Affairs for a tour of the city including the Qingdao Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. Monday a working breakfast was hosted by Vice Mayor Guangzheng Wang. During which, the Lt. Governor and the Vice Mayor each shared the similarities between the commerce, manufacturing and agriculture industries in Indiana and Qingdao, including regionalism and challenges with population decline in rural areas.
The small group then toured Haier, which will open its new North American Research and Development Center in Evansville on July 14, with Pan Li, Vice President of International Development, Dr. Du, General Manager for Research and Development, and Wayne Steele, General Manager of Haier North America. Haier has the world’s largest share of appliances and related smart devices. Evansville’s R&D Center will focus on developing appliances for the North American market.
After transitioning from Chengdu to Beijing on Sunday, members of the delegation made their way to one of the wonders of the world and climbed a section of the remaining 3,000 miles of the Great Wall of China.
In addition to prepping for meetings and activities in the week ahead, the delegation reflected on the cultural experiences of the weekend with Dr. Holly Wang, Professor of Agriculture Economics at Purdue University and native of Beijing noted, “Taking time for cultural tours is also an important way for our delegates to understand China and something local officials consider as central and respectful for visitors to do.”
On Monday, the trade mission group was briefed at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the second largest in the world, where they met with representatives from the Agricultural Trade Office (ATO), who represent the interests of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in China and are charged with improving foreign market access for U.S. products, building new markets and providing food aid and technical assistance to foreign countries.
The next meeting of the day was at China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO), China’s largest food company, which includes food production, processing, manufacturing and trading. The group was hosted by the Meats Division leadership, and discussion included topics involving pork, poultry, corn, soybean and beef. Most important was the discussion focusing on the importance of technology in producing crops, livestock and poultry.
Chunbo, China’s fastest growing food only e-commerce platform welcomed delegation members Chris Baggott of Greenfield based Tyner Pond Farm and Harvey Gutwein of Francesville’s Gutwein Popcorn to their farm Monday afternoon to meet with staff and view their farming practices for crops including tomatoes, green beans, squash and floriculture.
Nearing the half way point of the trip, Ted McKinney, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) reflected on the progress made thus far on the agriculture trade mission by saying, “Our delegates are making many positive contacts on products ranging from corn and soybeans, to hardwoods, to specialty branded products.This trip has reinforced that although at times challenging to access; the Chinese market is not one to take for granted, especially with the rapid emergence of the middle class who are demanding more protein. The U.S. “brand” in food quality is very high, providing us with even more opportunity beyond the traditional and important commodity crops to find ways that are mutually beneficial to address this and other growing needs. We look forward to the next few days of meetings as we continue to share information and strengthen Indiana’s global partnerships.”