June 3^rd, Dr. Amitha P. Bentota, Director of Rice Research and Development Institute, Sri Lanka paid her first visit to China National Rice Research Institute. Director General Cheng Shihua met with the guest and extended welcome. Both parties attended a meeting and exchanged views on consolidating further collaboration.

During the meeting, Deputy Director General Hu Peisong briefed the achievements of CNRRI gained over the decades and expressed willingness to enhance future cooperation in areas of germplasm resources exchange, variety and technique popularization, mutual personnel training, joint research and etc. He added that both sides could conduct the suggested cooperation under the framework of Strategic Co-operation Frame Agreement which is expected to be signed by the end of July.

Amitha P. Bentota said that Sri Lanka is facing great challenges in agricultural development and food security due to its limited land resource and natural environmental factors. Astounded by CNRRI’s accomplishments, she wished to learn the experience from China in the breeding of high-yield, high-quality, stress resistant rice and enhance cooperation with CNRRI in the areas of biotechnology, agricultural machinery and capacity building.

Dr. Bentota visited CNRRI’s State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Center for Rice Improvement, Rice Product Quality Inspection and Supervision Testing Center after the meeting, and then gave a report named Rice Research and Development Activities in Sri Lanka.