Agricultural Cooperation Plan' for bilateral agricultural cooperation initiatives between Chinese and Cuban governments (Linked to Record ID#54856, #69983, #108635)

On 5 July, 2012, the Governments of Cuba and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for agricultural cooperation during a meeting between Presidents Raúl Castro of Cuba and Hu Jintao of China.

This agreement is formally known as the 'Agricultural Cooperation Plan' (Plan de Cooperación Agrícola), and it lasted from 2012-2016.

The known sub-projects are: 1) Developing a core zone under Los Naranjos Genetics Company in Artemisa Province of Cuba to conduct cooperation in demonstration on different food processing and production (captured in linked Record ID#54856); 2) Establishing the Moringa Science and Technology Cooperation Center at the Tropical Crop Research Institute of Yunnan in China and the Institute of Pasture and Forage of the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba (captured in linked Record ID#69983); 3) Setting up the Sericulture S&T Cooperation Center at the Sericultural Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SRICAAS) and the National Sericulture Project Team of Cuba to develop cooperation in mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing and product development; and 4) Conducting high yield demonstration for rice, kidney beans, and corn.

China announced that, over five years, it would provide agricultural inputs and equipment to the Cuban side for demonstration activities.

China agreed to send experts to Cuba, in addition to inviting 100 Cuban officials and experts to China for training/research.

China also agreed to help construct the Moringa Science & Technology Cooperation Center; the Chinese component was inaugurated on April 11th, 2014, in China's Yunnan province, and its counterpart, the Institute of Pasture and Forage of the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba, was inaugurated on July 22nd, 2014, in Havana during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit (see Record ID#69983).

Current cooperation agreements extend until 2017.

The Cuba-China Agricultural Demonstrative Farm in Artemisa Province (La Granja Demostrativa Agropecuaria Cuba-China) was officially inaugurated during the same visit.

Cuba conducted a high yield demonstration for rice between 2012 and 2014 in collaboration with the UN's Joint FAO/IAEA commission; it is unclear whether Chinese funding was involved in this project. China has collaborated with Cuba since 2012 in expanding its sericulture industry.

The Sericulture S&T Center, jointly operated by Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Sericultural Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SRICAAS), was inaugurated in July 2014 and continues to receive Chinese expertise and in-kind support.

In 2017, The Centre for Foreign Economic Cooperation under the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture organized a seminar in Havana to offer guidance to Cuban silk industry representatives on improving production and industrialization of the fibre and explore avenues for bilateral growth.