Slovenia is seeking to expand and deepen its multifaceted cooperation with China across diverse domains of the agricultural sector, the country's agriculture minister said during her recent visit to China.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Mateja Calusic, Slovenian minister of agriculture, forestry and food, expressed optimism about broadening existing collaboration, highlighting abundant opportunities for the two nations to leverage their strengths through increased bilateral exchanges, joint research efforts and mutual learning.

"We are currently collaborating very well with China, and we have a good trade balance in areas like honey, wine and other products that Slovenia takes pride in," Calusic said. "We look forward to seeing this cooperation expand and grow even stronger across diverse agricultural domains in the future."

She also highlighted the respective strengths of both nations by adding: "China possesses advantages in the fields of science, innovation and research. On the other hand, Slovenia has built highly developed and pioneering practices in ecological and sustainable agriculture over the years."

Calusic emphasized that promoting environmentally sustainable farming methods across Slovenia's agricultural industry is a top priority. Efforts are underway to maintain pristine natural resources like water sources and soil quality while raising ecological awareness, especially among younger generations, she said.

Recognizing climate change as an existential global threat, Calusic said Slovenia is investing in research programs to mitigate risks from floods, rising water levels and other climate impacts on agriculture. She identified this as a promising area for deepening technical cooperation with China.

"We are also looking forward to collaborating with China in exchanging knowledge on technology and digitalization for assessing these risks in order to protect our agriculture in the future," she said.

Wine trade

However, expanding trade ties emerged as a priority. Slovenian wines have already carved a popular niche in the Chinese market, according to the minister.

Calusic noted that the country is maintaining a presence in the Chinese market and at the ProWine exhibition in Shanghai every year to strengthen its future presence.

She highlighted Slovenia's diverse wine portfolio, ranging from Mediterranean varieties of wines to Inland and from high to low percentages of alcohol, and new products of nonalcoholic beverages, as a key advantage in catering to evolving global tastes and preferences.

"Slovenian wines are hallmarks of our culture. In that sense, we are adapting to different markets and staying ahead of trends. I've heard that Chinese consumers are delighted with our wines," she said.

The minister also expressed interest in exploring new export sectors like pork to meet China's high demand, leveraging Slovenia's robust agricultural capabilities.

"We see the opportunity to shorten the supply chain from Slovenia to China, providing more direct connections for our industrial products to reach customers," Calusic said. "We would like to see reinforcement in this bilateral trade exchange in the future."

Looking ahead, Calusic underscored the importance of identifying new mutually beneficial opportunities and synergies across various agricultural domains as crucial. Potential areas include agritech, sustainable farming research and the sharing of best ecological practices.

"Tracking the visions, goals and needs of both countries to find solutions that cater to those needs would be a good starting point for future collaborations," she stated.

zhengzheng@chinadaily.com.cn