On the morning of November 11, 2003, Chen Liangyu, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee of Shanghai, and Han Zheng, Shanghai’s Mayor, made an inspection of the “Spring Joint Exhibition of Agricultural and Sideline Products 2004” being held at Shanghai Agricultural Exhibition Center. Chen Liangyu emphasized that efforts should be made to make full use of the geographical advantages of Shanghai and the city’s strengths in science and technology, talents, information and capital market so as to provide an attestation service platform for the nation’s agricultural and sideline products in terms of logistics, display and exhibition, scientific and technological services, agricultural information service and agricultural and sideline product testing, and more effective and better services for farmers and agricultural enterprises all over the country.

Liu Yungeng, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee of Shanghai, Feng Guoqing, Vice Mayor and member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee of Shanghai, Fan Deguan, Secretary General and member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee of Shanghai, and Tang Dengjie, Vice Mayor, also attended the Joint Exhibition.

This year’s “Spring Joint Exhibition of Agricultural and Sideline Products” has attracted over 500 enterprises from over 25 provinces and municipalities (Taiwan included). Over 3,000 quality agricultural and sideline products are on display. Information about the quality and safety of edible agricultural and sideline products in Shanghai is available through the information inquiry system at Shanghai Municipal Agricultural Technology Service Center.

Chen Liangyu emphasized that we should view the central government’s decision on the work relating to agriculture, farmers and countryside from a strategic level and continue to deepen the reform in countryside. Efforts should be made to cultivate knockout products, promote agricultural industrialization and enhance agricultural modernization, the three key points to be reckoned. Besides, the mix and the quality of agricultural and sideline products should be optimized to adapt to the needs of the market for diversified, quality and refined products. Efforts should also be made to develop the integral advantages of agriculture, increase the organizational level of agriculture and cultivate leading enterprises. The traditional mode of development that depends primarily on land and labor should be changed and a modern mode of growth that mainly relies on technology and knowledge should be realized, so as to give support to industrialization and promote modernization by means of invigorating agriculture through science and technology.