The first post-quake training course on farming technology opened in Shanghai on Monday to help improve farming in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province.

Shanghai is helping to reconstruct and revive Dujiangyan after the May 12 disaster.

The first group of 36 agrotechnicians and managers of leading agricultural companies from Dujiangyan started the course yesterday.

Next month, 100 more farmers will be trained in Shanghai to help recover food production, officials from the Shanghai Agricultural Commission said.

The training course will cover farming development and trends, construction and management of modern agricultural parks and marketing.

The trainees will also visit advanced agricultural facilities in Shanghai, such as Sunqiao Modern Agricultural Park, Xincheng Food Co Ltd and Evergreen Vegetables Co Ltd.

In addition to the training, local agriculture experts will help their Dujiangyan counterparts to rebuild agriculture and resume food production, officials said.

(Shanghai Daily July 29, 2008)