China gets unique gift of semen

2005-09-27 14:00

Singapore - A delegation from Singapore presented a "unique gift" of bull semen to officials in China's Shandong province to improve the quality of cattle breeding and dairy products, the government's trade promotion body said on Tuesday.

Chew Hong, deputy director of the food supply and technology department with the city-state's agri-food and veterinary authority (AVA), delivered the "high quality" semen from the United States and Canada to Zhang Hong Ben, deputy director-general of the Shandong provincial husbandry office.

The quantity of semen is enough to artificially inseminate 200 cows, said the AVA.

The presentation took place during a business mission to Shandong organised by International Enterprise Singapore. It resulted from a pact signed between AVA and the Shandong husbandry bureau in May 2005.

"Shandong is a province that is very strong in agriculture," said Chan Soo Sen, Singapore's minister of state for education.

"Singapore must be prepared to go beyond traditional sectors such as property or real estate and work with the province on the improvement of the agricultural sector," he said in a statement released here.

He suggested joint research in developing crops that are more resistant to drought and higher salt content in water as a possible area of co-operation.

Bilateral trade between Singapore and Shandong grew by 60% in 2004 to reach $970m. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA