Interview: China a strategic partner in El Salvador's agricultural growth, says Salvadoran minister

SAN SALVADOR, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- China is a strategic partner in El Salvador's agricultural growth as the Central American nation seeks to strengthen the sector and boost output, Salvadoran Minister of Agriculture and Livestock David Martinez has said.

While El Salvador is not able to meet what China's vast market demands in terms of quantity, exporting select products such as pork, cocoa, coffee and honey, and developing bilateral ties and cooperation, will lead to growth and mutual benefit, Martinez said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The Agricultural Rescue Master Plan launched by the Salvadoran government calls for investment of some 1.29 billion U.S. dollars to reactivate rural areas and promote economic growth based on food production geared toward niche markets, like those in China.

The interest China has shown is important for the bilateral relationship as well as for both countries' agricultural and trade growth, said Martinez, since China is "a huge market that has different demands and needs," while El Salvador "needs to find niche markets."

"I believe that the two countries can create a very interesting partnership between China's demand and our potential supply, with technical assistance for certain specific products, which would enable us to reach that large market and help us grow economically," Martinez said.

Regarding the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), scheduled for Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai, Martinez deemed it a window of opportunity that should be utilized not only by the agricultural sector, but by all industries and economic actors in El Salvador, both in the short and long terms.

According to Martinez, China-El Salvador cooperation can also contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change in the country, where agriculture has been damaged by periods of drought and extreme weather.

Despite not being a big contributor of the greenhouse gases leading to climate change, Central America is among the regions suffering most from the consequences of global warming, Martinez said.

Cooperation with China means sharing the know-how and experience on "what technology to use to channel agriculture toward being much more technical and less primitive," Martinez said.

"China has managed to make efficient use of its technologies, which would be fundamental in cooperation to prevent climate change impacts. Technical assistance with precision agriculture is the goal," said Martinez.