A delegation of Chinese agricultural officials on Wednesday began a visit in the United States to study US practices in transferring modern agricultural technology from educational institutions and government to rural communities.

The three-day workshop, held in Prairie View A&M University in Texas, includes lectures by college teaching staff and agricultural extension specialists on the role of the Land-Grant System and college-led extension programs.

The US Land-Grant System originated from the Morrill Act of 1862, under which the federal government gave parcels of federal-controlled land to each state to sell to fund the creation of public "land grant" colleges for agricultural and technical education.

There are now land-grant universities in all 50 US states. Over the decades, the land-grant colleges have become an educational system that integrates teaching, research and agricultural extension and the system has played an important role in transferring agricultural technology to rural communities.

The US agricultural technology transfer system was of value to China, which was focusing on agricultural development in rural communities, said Chen Liangyu, a consultant of China Rural Development Center.

China could learn from the United States on how to effectively transfer technologies from colleges to farmers, Chen said.

Billy Lawton, a specialist at the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University, said the workshop was a perfect platform for US and Chinese agricultural specialists to exchange views and expertise.

The workshop is sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The Chinese delegation is composed of 18 agricultural officials from 15 Chinese provinces and autonomous regions.

(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2009)