Africa Report

The Zambia Daily Mail recently reported that the World Bank has launched a $64.7-million livestock development project in Zambia that will benefit over 390,000 farming households. The government expects the project to increase rural incomes, reduce poverty and improve the livelihood of the rural communities. Although the livestock sector has great potential, the industry still faces various challenges related to extending services, poor breeding, poor quality feed, high incidence of disease and low value addition.

China

Relics Survey

China's first national survey of moveable cultural relics will cover all relics possessed by state organs, public service units, state-owned enterprises and other government organizations. A work team leading the survey adopted an implementation plan, defining the targets of the survey from October 2012 to December 2016 to better gauge and protect national cultural relics. The survey aims to accumulate information on the status of the country's cultural relics and record basic information about relics regardless of ownership, according to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. The survey will also cover items preserved in the country's religious sites under cultural relics protection.

China

Contaminants Caps

China's Ministry of Health has announced new limits on 13 contaminants in 20 categories of food. The newly amended standards will come into effect on June 1. They limit the amount of contaminants including lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic that can be legally allowed in different foods, including grains, vegetables, fruit, meat, drinks, alcohol, aquatic products and seasonings. Previous limits on selenium, aluminum, and fluorine were deleted in the amendment. The ministry also said that it will streamline 5,000 existing safety standards for agricultural produces and food products by the end of 2013.

China

CAS Branches

China's leading scientific institution, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) recently announced that it aims to expand its influence by establishing overseas branches around the world. The CAS has started building a comprehensive research center in Kenya, while branches in central Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America are being planned. The CAS will launch a program to help Chinese scientists deepen scientific cooperation with scientists in other developing countries, as well as help them train scientific and technological staff. The CAS also hopes to recruit more elite foreign researchers.

China

Documentary Support

An official website devoted to the Chinese documentary industry (docuchina.cntv.cn) was jointly launched by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) and China Network Television. The site will offer information on policy releases, industrial trends, expert advice for documentary makers, project financing, academic research and other relevant topics. According to the SARFT, the website will showcase outstanding domestic as well as foreign documentaries.