With the rapid development of urban agriculture, large and medium cities in China have the experience needed to lead the country in agriculture modernization, experts at a recent ag-development seminar agreed.

A senior official of Shanghai Municipality said recently at the seminar that Shanghai will attempt to realize agricultural and rural modernization by 2005, and turn the city into a major international center for agricultural sciences and technology, information, processing and trade.

China's urban agriculture started in the early 1990s, when provincial capitals in the central and eastern regions as well as large and medium coastal cities gave full play to their advantages

in capital, technology, market, information and personnel to develop high-efficient and environment-friendly agriculture.

And their efforts have paid off, as agriculture in the areas has taken a modern shape. This has not only benefited the healthy development of urban areas but also had a positive influence on the whole country.

Agriculture in Beijing has become a new growth point for its economy and played an important role in food supply, ecological improvement and tourism. Meanwhile, southern Shenzhen city has chosen agriculture as a major means to revitalize the economy of the special economic zone.

Zhang Qiang, a research fellow with Beijing Municipal Research Center for Rural Economy, said that urban agriculture which integrates production, ecological, living, educational and other functions has improved the quality of rural communities and rural life as well as narrowed the gap between urban and rural areas.

"The development of urban agriculture is an epoch-making event in China's agriculture, which will be a major force in accelerating the country's agriculture modernization drive," said Hong Fuzeng, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and president of the China Association of Agricultural Sciences. (Xinhua)