Agricultural ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states have reaffirmed their commitment to deepen regional collaboration on food security, climate-resilient technologies, and rural development. The 10th SCO Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting, hosted in Kunming, China, from July 30 to 31, 2025, brought together senior officials, researchers, and experts from more than 10 countries, including member, observer, and dialogue partner states.
Addressing the gathering, Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO, emphasised that agriculture will be central to overcoming regional challenges, particularly in ensuring food security and building climate-resilient systems. He stressed the importance of collective efforts in adopting advanced technologies and called for improved transportation and logistics infrastructure to facilitate the smooth movement of agricultural goods.
The event highlighted China’s growing role in regional agricultural collaboration. Han Jun, China’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, noted that agricultural trade between China and SCO member countries has surged to $18.6 billion, marking a nearly fourfold increase since 2010. He also pointed to the Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industry Demonstration Zone as a cornerstone of this cooperation. Since 2010, the facility has trained over 50,000 professionals from SCO countries and supported the development of 14 demonstration parks abroad.
China aims to expand digital agriculture training, share climate-smart technologies, and strengthen capacity building among SCO members. Key focus areas include smart farming, water-saving techniques, biotechnology, aquaculture, and value-added processing of agricultural products.
India, represented by Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, underscored the country’s digital agriculture initiatives and expressed willingness to enhance cooperation in research, technology exchange, and germplasm sharing.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a joint statement, reflecting consensus on expanding mutual learning and innovation in agriculture. With growing climate threats and shifting food systems, SCO countries agreed that joint efforts are crucial to building a more secure and sustainable agricultural future across South Asia and beyond.
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