On the morning of August 30, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho led a delegation of 5 people visited SAAS.Vice president Zhao Zhihui received the guests.

Vice president Zhao expressed his welcome to the delegation and pointed out that international cooperation is an important part of scientific and technological innovation, and it is through the strategy of "bring in" and "going out" that SAAS continues to carry out agricultural cooperation and exchanges, including jointly undertaking international cooperation projects with African research institutions, participating in the implementation of South-South cooperation, and holding agricultural technology training courses for developing countries, striving to make progress hand in hand with nations in the African region.

Prince Seeiso emphasized the cornerstone role of agriculture in the national economy of Lesotho during the meeting, expressing his desire to promote sustainable development, assist in regional poverty alleviation, and enhance the nutritional supply of the country's citizens through agricultural technological innovation. He praised the achievements of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences in the field of agricultural technology and looked forward to establishing a cooperative framework between the two parties. This includes conducting personnel training and exchanges, and strengthening cooperation in the agricultural field to accelerate the improvement of Lesotho's agricultural productivity and food self-sufficiency.

Researchers from Shanghai Agrobiological Gene Center, Liu Zaochang, and vice director of Crop Breeding and Cultivation Research Institute, Zheng Hongjian, respectively reported on the promotion of water-saving and drought-resistant rice in Africa and the cooperation of the CIMMYT-China Specialty Maize Research Center in Africa.

Before the meeting, the delegation visited the Flower Innovation Center and the Pilot Mushroom Cultivation Facility at Fengpu campus, where relevant institute directors and scientific personnel participated in the reception.