The Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) – 中国热带农业科学院 was established in 1954 and is the sole research institution in China under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) focused on tropical agricultural technology development. CATAS consists of 14 research institutes and one experimental farm, with approximately 4,600 employees, 3,300 of whom are scientists. The academy’s research spans a wide range of topics, including rubber trees, tropical fruits, vegetables, forage, textile fiber crops, arboreal oil crops, spices, and beverage crops. CATAS also conducts research in agricultural machinery, environment and plant protection, biotechnology, and genetic resource conservation.
CATAS operates in several locations, including Haikou and Danzhou in Hainan Province, and Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province. Since 2006, the National Key Research Centre for Tropical Crops Engineering Technology has been part of CATAS. In addition, the academy has one state-level breeding center, seven ministerial-level breeding centers, and five Hainan provincial key laboratories.
CATAS maintains a vast network of international partnerships and operates 12 international cooperation platforms, including the FAO Reference Center for Tropical Agriculture Research and Training, CATAS-CIAT Collaboration and Cooperation Office, the China-Republic of Congo Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center, the International Research Center for Advanced Tropical Agricultural Materials with Deakin University in Australia, and the International Joint Laboratory for the Research and Development of Tropical Medicinal Plants. It also collaborates with the University of Hawai’i on tropical plant protection, the International S&T Cooperation Base for Tropical Agriculture of MoST, and operates the Hainan-ASEAN Tropical Crops S&T Cooperation platform.
CATAS has an extensive collaboration network with tropical and subtropical agricultural research institutions from more than 30 countries and regions. Moreover, the institute is actively involved in South-South cooperation, undertaking numerous projects for technical assistance and personnel training in tropical and subtropical regions.
More information: https://www.catas.cn/EN/index.html.
