Yangling: At the ongoing 32nd China Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Fair in Yangling, known as China's "agri-science city," the booth of Ashurov Pulot Masharipovich, director of Tajikistan's Apricot and Company, is succeeding in drawing crowds thanks to its popular dried apricots, mulberry fruit cakes, and herbal teas. "This is my third time attending the Yangling fair. Our products are pollution-free and purely natural, which appeal to the professional agricultural audience here," said Ashurov. "This year, with my Chinese partners, we opened a branch in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and we are committed to tapping into China's vast market."

According to Namibia Press Agency, the historic Silk Road once connected China to Central Asia, facilitating agricultural exchanges such as silk, sesame, pomegranates, and grapes. This connection continues today with Yangling's climatic and geographical similarities to Central Asia, including Tajikistan. Since China proposed the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) demonstration base for agricultural technology exchange and training in Yangling in 2019, cooperation under the SCO has accelerated, with Chinese solutions aiding poverty reduction and farming development.

In 2017, Zhang Zhengmao, a researcher at Northwest A and F University, joined a project in Kazakhstan to build a demonstration park for grain and oil crops. He found local wheat varieties struggled with disease resistance and lodging, areas in which Chinese expertise excelled. "The complementary advantages made cooperation natural," Zhang noted. With new wheat varieties and planting techniques, the park's yield increased by 20 to 30 percent compared to local varieties.

Bringing Kazakh spring wheat varieties back to China for trials, Zhang discovered their resilience, such as immunity to stripe rust, offering potential for breeding superior hybrids. "Hybridizing seed resources could yield more adaptable wheat," he said. In Kyrgyzstan, apples are very popular. Zhang Dong, a professor at Northwest A and F University, recently inspected apple saplings slated for export. Using his asexual propagation techniques, these trees fruit in just two years and reach high yields by the fourth year, far quicker than traditional varieties.

Yangling Modern Agriculture International Cooperation Co., Ltd. collaborates with Shandong Luhua Group to cultivate high-oleic peanuts across Central Asia. "Using Xinjiang as a springboard, we've solved issues like aflatoxin and mechanized harvesting," said Min Liqian, the company's head. "We're confident in expanding this long-term project."

Kang Zhensheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, noted that the "seeds" of cooperation have deepened people-to-people ties under the Belt and Road Initiative. Since 2024, the SCO base in Yangling has conducted 16 training sessions on modern agriculture and poverty reduction, attracting over 400 officials and technicians from SCO and Belt and Road countries, with more than 9,000 participants attending online lectures.

SCO member states, as outlined in the Tianjin Declaration, continue to strengthen agricultural cooperation, leveraging the Yangling base for food security and knowledge sharing. SCO countries are committed to boosting agricultural trade, expanding exchanges, and nurturing talent, making this organization vital for food security and people's well-being, said Oleg Kopelev, deputy secretary-general of the SCO.

"We will fully unleash Yangling's potential as an SCO base to facilitate smooth exchanges of agricultural products and technologies," Kopelev added.