Malaysia, Uzbekistan to forge R&D collaboration related to rice, horticulture, fertilisers

PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), Aug 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Uzbekistan intend to forge a collaboration in research and development (R&D) related to rice, horticulture and fertilisers.

As such, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and Uzbekistan Center of Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture are set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said the matter was discussed during the meeting between its Minister, Mohamad Sabu and the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Malaysia Ravshan Usmanov here Tuesday.

The ministry said in a statement Wednesday that the meeting also discussed efforts by both countries to strengthen bilateral ties in agriculture, especially in ensuring a stable and quality source of food supply.

“The discussion agenda also veered towards the prospect of new market access for agricultural products, such as value-added products from chicken and beef, including bird’s nest products,” it said.

The ministry said Usmanov also extended an invitation from Uzbekistan’s Agriculture Minister to Mohamad to attend the International Conference on Food Security (ICFS) to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan next month.

The Uzbekistan government is organising the inaugural ICFS in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

-- BERNAMA