Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), together with representatives from the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Traditional Governance, Peace & Ecclesiastical Affairs, the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, the Commodities Export Marketing Authority, Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands, key stakeholders and youth participants, have completed a rural development training seminar held from 8 to 30 October in Beijing.
The programme, delivered under China’s ongoing support for South–South Cooperation, aimed to strengthen capacity within developing nations through knowledge sharing on agriculture and rural transformation.
According to MAL, the seminar offered participants an in-depth understanding of China’s approaches to rural development, poverty alleviation, agricultural modernisation, rural governance, climate-smart agriculture and value-chain development. China’s experience in rural transformation is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive in the world, making the seminar a significant opportunity for Solomon Islands government ministries, particularly MAL and the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD).
Throughout the training, participants were introduced to policies, technologies and practical models underpinning China’s rural revitalisation framework. Field visits to Jiangsu and Anhui provinces allowed attendees to observe community-driven governance systems, targeted poverty alleviation strategies, digital agriculture platforms, modern mechanisation, cooperative business structures, e-commerce logistics networks, and small- to medium-scale agro-processing industries.
Key areas of learning highlighted during the seminar included rural governance, agricultural modernisation, climate-smart agriculture, digital agriculture, agro-processing, biosecurity and rural revitalisation. Participants noted China’s emphasis on strong coordination between national and provincial agencies, data-driven planning, community participation and integrated value-chain development.
MAL said the insights gained hold strong potential to support Solomon Islands’ efforts to strengthen food security, enhance agricultural value chains, improve extension services and expand climate-smart agriculture initiatives across the provinces. The training also underscored the need for closer collaboration between MAL and MRD to improve planning, implementation and monitoring of rural development programmes.
Despite the opportunities presented, participants also identified several ongoing challenges facing rural development in the Solomon Islands, including limited budget resources, inter-island transport costs, customary land complexities, climate vulnerability, digital access limitations and gaps in rural infrastructure and data systems.
MAL acknowledged the Government of China for hosting the seminar and for its continued support for rural transformation in the Solomon Islands. The ministry said it looks forward to working with domestic stakeholders and development partners to translate lessons learned into practical outcomes for rural communities.
