Professional Committee of Grassland Protection, Chinese Grassland Society, organized and IPP prepared the 6th Conference of Professional Committee of Grassland Protection, Chinese Grassland Society, and Training of Technology for Rangeland Pests Control and Monitoring and Forecasting. The conference was held successfully at Mangshi, Yunnan Province, on 22-25 February, 2017. DDG ZHANG Bujiang of IPP and DDG YUN Xujiang of National Animal Husbandry Service were present at the meeting.

In his welcoming speech, DDG ZHANG Bujiang pointed out that rangeland and husbandry industry was related to food security, ecological security and basic living security of farmers and herdsmen. The research of rangeland protection in China was started relatively later compared to other countries and the development of research lagged behind other areas. The workers in rangeland protection still had a long way to go, ZHANG said. Professional Committee of Grassland Protection should bring into full play as a leader and platform and push the research of rangeland protection to a new level. DDG ZHANG, on behalf of the organizing institution, wished the Conference a complete success. DDG YUN Xujiang of National Animal Husbandry Service introduced in detail the history, the current situation and future trend of development in rangeland protection work in China. YUN analyzed the existing problems in rangeland protection during the 13th-Five-Year Plan, the opportunities facing and challenges. He hoped that the Professional Committee of Grassland Protection would give fully play as a platform and promote the scientific and technical innovation in rangeland protection research.

This Conference elected the new committee members and members of standing committee. IPP’s Prof. ZHANG Zehua in the Department of Weed Science, Rodent Biology and Rangeland Protection was elected as the new director of the Professional Committee of Grassland Protection. Dr. WANG Guangjun, also from IPP, was elected as general secretary of the Committee.

More than 150 participants attended the Conference. The participants came from research institutions, universities, and extension services in 11 provinces (autonomous regions).