Ministry of Agriculture announces plan to import quinoa from Bolivia

China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has signed a preliminary framework agreement to extend agricultural cooperation with Bolivia by importing quinoa plants from the country, the MOA said Monday.

"Importing quinoa would help increase the yield of cash crops. Our experts are conducting research into how to acclimatize quinoa in China," Ma Zhigang, director of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center at the MOA, told the Global Times Monday.

China started a pilot scheme in 2008 for planting quinoa in North China's Shanxi Province.

However, the yield has been comparatively low so far and China is considering planting quinoa in Northwest China's Gansu Province and Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region as well, Ma noted.

The agricultural ministries of Bolivia and China are currently negotiating about inspection and quarantine rules for the crop, Ma noted.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization passed a bill to promote the planting of quinoa worldwide this year.