Advances to boost farming called for

President Xi Jinping called on the China Association of Agricultural Science Societies on Tuesday to unite the country's agricultural scientists and technicians so they can achieve more for a national revival.

Xi delivered the message in a congratulatory letter to the association on its 100th anniversary.

As a leading agriculture organization, the association has been a key player in China's contemporary science and technology development in agriculture, Xi said. He hailed the group as an important force in promoting the country's agricultural development after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 - especially since the reform and opening-up drive initiated about 40 years ago.