A staff member checks seed germination status at Taijin Seed Industry Co., Ltd. in Pingluo County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 20, 2026.(Xinhua/Liu Hai)

China and Canada have mapped out new cooperation priorities in agricultural technology, soil health and seed industry, marking a major step forward in stabilizing and expanding bilateral agricultural collaboration, according to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Sunday. 

Zhang Zhili, vice minister of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, co-chaired the 13th session of the China-Canada Joint Committee on Agriculture with Lawrence Hanson, deputy minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The two sides held in-depth exchanges on key common issues and future cooperation priorities in the agricultural sector, the ministry said in a statement.

Zhang noted that China is willing to further expand bilateral agricultural exchanges and cooperation under the framework of the joint committee. The two countries will set up specialized working groups focusing on agricultural technology innovation, soil health protection and seed industry development to deepen pragmatic collaboration in key sectors.

Both sides agreed to advance comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging agricultural cooperation following the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, translating future cooperation plans into concrete and effective outcomes, according to the statement.

Soil health and seed industry development are key areas within the broader field of agricultural technology, which covers talent training, technical innovation and joint research. Facing shared agricultural development challenges, China and Canada are well-positioned to carry out joint research and make technological breakthroughs through collaborative efforts, Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The two countries boast distinct yet complementary strengths in agricultural development. China has built strong independent research and development capabilities in agricultural technologies, while Canada is actively diversifying its agricultural technology cooperation and exploring new opportunities. Such cooperation will help both countries jointly tackle agricultural development challenges, strengthen the foundations of food security, and unlock greater potential for technological upgrading and ecological improvement in the agricultural sector, Li said.

Bilateral agricultural cooperation comes amid improving trade ties between the two nations. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) confirmed in January that China and Canada had reached specific arrangements to properly address trade issues related to electric vehicles (EVs), steel and aluminum products, rapeseed, and agricultural and aquatic products.

The two sides have reached consensus on increasing direct flights, improving the business environment, and the inspection and quarantine of agricultural products, the MOFCOM said.

In the first half of the year, bilateral trade volume grew by 16 percent year-on-year, with Canadian exports to China increasing by 23.3 percent. Canadian agricultural products such as canola and beef have returned to the Chinese market, while Chinese EVs have entered the Canadian market, offering consumers more high-quality options.