STORY: Chinese agricultural expertise revolutionizes fruit production in Sri Lanka
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 6, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 10, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:24
LOCATION: MAKANDURA, Sri Lanka
CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY/AGRICULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Chinese technology demonstration plots
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SUN DEQUAN, Leader of the Chinese expert group of the cooperation project
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHAO ZENGXIAN, Expert with the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SRINATH WIJESOORIYA, Farm manager at Sustainable Agriculture Research and Development Center in Makandura

STORYLINE:

In the sun-drenched heartland of Sri Lanka, a transformative agricultural partnership is taking root, bringing innovative farming techniques to local communities. 

The China-FAO Sri Lanka South-South Cooperation Project, launched in 2023, is spearheading this shift, with Chinese tropical agricultural specialists playing a pivotal role in reshaping local farming practices.

From fruit bagging and raised ridges to precise drip irrigation, the Chinese specialists have worked tirelessly to teach these methods to local farmers, helping them significantly boost their yields. 

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): SUN DEQUAN, Leader of the Chinese expert group of the cooperation project
"Our experts have introduced advanced Chinese agricultural technologies, such as seedling propagation, field management, water and fertilizer management, and pest and disease control, to teach local farmers how to increase the yield of three main fruits: mango, pineapple, and banana."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHAO ZENGXIAN, Expert with the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences
"Our main tasks include promoting agricultural technology and training agricultural technicians.
Now the pineapples have reached the harvesting stage. We are primarily focusing on teaching the locals how to use Chinese technology for non-destructive harvesting, which helps maximize both the quality and yield."

The root of Sri Lanka's struggle with fruit production lies in the limited adoption of modern agricultural management practices. 

Adopting Chinese planting management techniques, the first batch of mango orchards saw a 50 percent higher yield than before. Pineapple harvests are expected to increase by more than three times, and the quality and quantity of bananas have also significantly improved.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): SRINATH WIJESOORIYA, Farm manager at Sustainable Agriculture Research and Development Center in Makandura
"They provide very good technology for pineapple and banana cultivation in the Sri Lanka farming community. They are very helpful and they have a lot of technological advantages. We got a lot of technological advice from them."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Makandura, Sri Lanka.
(XHTV)