For a Chinese company to succeed on a global scale, its employees need intensive English language and management training — and an extension system. So Longping High Tech Agriculture has partnered with ISU Extension to create a company-based learning program to meet these needs.
Eight Longping employees traveled to Iowa State University in Summer 2008 for two months of American Business English, American managerial concepts, farm and agribusiness site visits, and a general “eye-opening” experience. But, “what struck them was the ISU Extension system,” said Sok-Leng Tan, with ISU Extension’s global programs.
Longping High Tech Agriculture is a leading seed company in China, specializing in hybrid rice. The company sells a broad range of seeds; manufactures and sells chemicals and fertilizers; and provides advice and training to farmers. Professor Yuan Long Ping, known for his contribution in fighting hunger by raising crop yield, is hailed as the Father of hybrid rice. He is also the chief scientist of the company who won the World Food Prize in 2004. Professor Yuan’s “super rice” is now grown in more than half of China’s paddy fields as well as more than 20 other countries. The eight employees represented different areas within the company, including human resources, sales, finance, and international business.
“They can use extension concepts in providing service and expertise to their clients,” said Darwin Miller, ISU Extension education director in Hardin County.
Miller, who spent some time with the Longping group, said, “I explained how county extension offices operate and the relationship between county directors and field specialists. They were intrigued by the election of nine extension council members in each county, how they govern extension and the fact that they serve as unpaid volunteers. I also explained the organizational chart for ISU Extension and how they could apply the concepts to their company structure.”
Miller took the delegation to a Prairieland Cooperative grain terminal and distribution center, where they learned about the business relationship between the cooperative and independent farmers. They were impressed by the concept of a co-op – a one-stop shop where farmers can buy chemicals and seeds and store or sell the harvested crop.
At a grain and pork farm, “they were impressed by the large number of consistent animals in the facility and the mechanization,” Miller said.
The team also visited the Chicago Board of Trade. Ms. Danny Zhou, Longping’s chief officer of human resources and administration says that China has a similar pricing system, but individual farmers do not know much about it. According to Mr. Zhongju Yang, an assistant general manager, the Chinese government has “removed all agricultural taxes and provides a subsidy to farmers” to help them buy modern equipment and seeds.
Extension’s Continuing Education and Professional Development director, Dr. Eddie Loo has met with the Longping team to create an ISU Extension-Longping High Tech Academy with the objective of helping them access and disseminate information, as well as provide training to farmers.
“They want to come back,” Tan added. Longping will send a new cohort to participate in the training program, and this first group is looking forward to additional training.
The Longping group also was introduced to ISU Extension’s 4-H program, Tan said. “They were intrigued with the idea of building youth leadership.”
She expects to head to China in December with Mary Holz-Clause, ISU Extension interim associate vice president for Extension and Outreach, and Brenda Allen, an ISU Extension 4-H youth development specialist. They hope to expand collaboration with Longping in several areas, including a new program in 4-H youth leadership.
For more information, contact Tan at sokleng@iastate.edu.